ArtiGras Podcast · ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival

What It Takes to Lead a Modern Symphony with David McClymont

·48 min·2 clips

David McClymont says, "data drives decisions," but creativity cannot be compromised.

Sarah LaPierre begins with shared local roots. She and David McClymont grew up in Palm Beach County, Sarah in Palm Beach Gardens and David in Jupiter, and that makes the conversation feel grounded right away. The symphony is not treated like something floating above the community. It sounds like something trying to live inside it. David talks about leadership as service. Strong music and thoughtful programming are the starting point for the Palm Beach Symphony, but he keeps coming back to care. Local arts groups compete for attention, so he gets practical about social calendars, short seasons, and the hard work of avoiding conflicts with other institutions. Sarah picks up on the pressure quickly. David compares the planning to a Rubik's cube and a labyrinth, which makes the job sound less glamorous and more like a daily puzzle. Then the conversation turns inward. Once someone decides to attend, he says the organization has to meet them emotionally and experientially. That is where the concierge comes in. For a small nonprofit, the role might sound unexpected. David explains it as part box office, part donor care, and part hospitality philosophy. The mentality is simple: try to say yes. His private country club experience shapes that attention to patrons, and Sarah reflects it back with real warmth. She keeps pulling the point wider, from operations to the feeling of being seen by a cultural institution. The episode closes with gratitude. David mentions special events, children's concerts, and upcoming concerts, while Sarah makes the case that Palm Beach County culture should not stay hidden.

As heard by us

A symphony leader treats programming, timing, and hospitality as part of the performance.

David McClymont presents the Palm Beach Symphony as an organization shaped by programming, timing, and service as much as by sound. He shows how strong music has to sit alongside a crowded calendar of other nonprofits and galas, and how closely social calendars, donor…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If your symphony talk comes with calendar strategy and a concierge, you are in the right room.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from ArtiGras Podcast