Koonsman Heading Back To Run Fort Worth

Sometimes executives simply don’t work out with their orchestras. In Fort Worth, it appears that was the case with Katherine Akos, the executive manager who followed Ann Koonsman, long-time executive director for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra…

Ann has a well known reputation for being a central figure in building the FWSO into what it is today and it’s good to see her stepping back in to take the reigns while they search for a permanent replacement. It’s not often the business is witness to this sort of event but hopefully the board, managers, and musicians at Fort Worth will be able to find a new executive leader capable of filling Ann’s standard.

The trick, of course, is to not let Ann’s accomplishments as one of the best builders the business has known in recent decades to evolve into something resembling Founder’s Syndrome, thereby preventing the organization from finding a successful candidate. So long as no one emerges from the last few years with any unnecessary emotional baggage, the organization will hopefully identify a new executive leader who is capable of picking up where Ann left off (then again, we could also see Ann do an impression of George Forman and emerge from retirement to continue growing the orchestra; stranger things have happened).