As a professional dancer, instructor and arts administrator, Anwar Nasir has always believed in the power of diversity to inspire.
Without it, “people wouldn’t see that connection, where they could see themselves in what it is we do,” he said this week. “That’s why representation is so important.”
An orchestra's front office is “a space for all of us. No matter whether you were born and raised in the orchestral tradition or not, all you have to have is a passion for it, and there can be an opportunity for you.”
Case in point: Nasir himself.
On Thursday, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra named the 37-year-old Nasir, currently an administrator at the Omaha Symphony, as its new executive director, effective July 19.
He'll become the only Black executive director of a major American classical orchestra, and one of only a handful of Black leaders for classical orchestras of any size.
“There is a change that is happening,” he said. “I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Guest conductor Lina Gonzales-Granados directs the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at a socially distanced rehearsal in the Orpheum Theater before the fall 2020 season.
As executive director, his duties will be similar to those of the LPO’s former CEO, James Boyd, who stepped down in December 2019 after eight years with the organization.
Nasir will lead the LPO as it emerges from the disruption of the coronavirus shutdown. Not hailing from a classical music background, he believes, is an advantage.
“I’m not an insider. I wasn’t brought up in this world, so I can see with fresh eyes. I kind of represent the common man, as we look to grow and expand our audience. That allows me to make sure we’re being open and responsive to what our community needs.”
He may not be a classical music insider, but he has intersected with the arts his entire life.
He grew up in Philadelphia, where his family patronized the Avenue of the Arts, the cultural district that is home to the city’s symphony, ballet and opera companies and Broadway-style theaters. His father collected albums by the Philadelphia Orchestra. His uncle still maintains subscriptions to the ballet, opera and symphony.
“It really enriched us as a family,” Nasir said of attending cultural events as a child. “It was something that we would do together. We would try out different things. I think it helped shape who I was. It was really helpful for me to see what the arts can mean to young people that looked like me.”
From third grade through high school, he attended a small, private, predominantly African American boarding school, where the Philadelphia Orchestra performs in the chapel every year.
He graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in communication and rhetorical studies. For 10 years, he was a professional dancer. He also was an instructor for the Atlanta Ballet.
Knowing his career as a dancer was finite, he pursued a parallel course in arts administration. He worked at the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl. At the Omaha Symphony, he became the chief revenue and advancement officer.
“What I love about working for an orchestra versus being a professional dancer is that the orchestra can serve so many other different art forms,” he said.
Anwar Nasir, a veteran administrator at various arts organizations, has been named the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra's next executive director, effective July 19, 2021.
Along the way, he networked extensively. In 2018, he was one of 12 executives selected for the League of American Orchestras’ yearlong Emerging Leaders Program. He is also co-chairperson of the league’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion working group, and the co-founder of the Black Arts Leadership Alliance. He is a frequent presenter at arts conferences.
“I’ve tried to stay visible within our industry,” he said. “I try to stay connected.”
The LPO’s executive director search committee identified him as a potential candidate this spring. Several conversations, and a visit to New Orleans, followed.
“We are thrilled to have Anwar join the LPO, bringing with him an impressive track record of audience development and a bold vision for the orchestra’s role in the community,” LPO board president Dwight McGhee said in a statement.
“The LPO has found creative ways to keep the music playing over the last year, and we were looking for an equally creative leader to take us into the future. Anwar’s artistic imagination and entrepreneurial spirit make him the right choice for the LPO.”
The LPO is the oldest American orchestra to be collaboratively governed by its musicians. The executive director works closely not only with the LPO’s board, its staff and music director Carlos Miguel Prieto, but also its 67 full-time musicians.
That appealed to Nasir.
“Every organization that I’ve been part of in the creative field, there’s always this push-pull between what’s happening on the artistic side and what’s happening on the administrative side.
“With the LPO, there’s this forced collaboration, but it doesn’t feel forced. It feels very natural. It’s baked into who they are, and that to me is really attractive.”
The musicians “don’t say, ‘I’m just going to sit onstage and play Beethoven or Brahms.’ They are really committed to, ‘This is where this organization is going. We’re in this together.’ To me, that’s a dream, to have that level of commitment and investment in the success of the organization.”
He was especially impressed by Prieto. “He’s not only a fantastic musician but a leader for that organization. I can’t wait to work with him.”
As much as the job itself, Nasir was also drawn to New Orleans. He first visited several years ago for the Essence Festival and has returned for conferences.
“It’s a fantastic city. Every time that I’ve been there, it’s been wonderful. I always leave feeling rejuvenated.
“The people are so welcoming and community-driven. The spirit and energy exudes not just from the musicians, but every single person I’ve met there. I can’t wait to take in everything that New Orleans has to offer.”
Josiah Bullach talks to families about the French horn during the weekly Musical Story Time with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at City Park's Storyland in New Orleans, Saturday, March 27, 2021. Every Saturday, the LPO introduces families to a musician and a musical instrument and combines the music with children's books.
The LPO remained active throughout the coronavirus pandemic with a variety of programs and initiatives, even though the full orchestra has not performed for an in-person audience since March 2020.
Nasir will be at the organization’s helm as it gears up this fall with a digital festival starting Sept. 10, followed by a free, in-person community concert Oct. 19.
The LPO’s “Music at the Museum” series resumes Oct. 21 and the orchestra returns to the Orpheum Theater stage on Nov. 4.
The 2021-2022 season includes Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, Coleridge-Taylor’s Suite from Hiawatha, Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale, Marsalis’ Fiddler’s Tale and a co-presentation of Act I of Wagner’s Die Walküre with New Orleans Opera.
The LPO will also showcase works by creative partner Courtney Bryan and collaborate with violinist Aubree Oliverson, pianist Anne Marie McDermott and soprano Helga Davis, as well as the soul/funk/spoken word band Tank and the Bangas.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Nasir hopes to foster more such nontraditional collaborations.
“That’s a way to reach new audiences,” he said. “And the musicians come back and approach the traditional, core repertoire differently. When you’re playing Led Zeppelin, or with Tank and the Bangas, then come back to Tchaikovsky or Chopin, you’re hearing different levels of musicality, because you’re hearing things differently. You have a new experience.
“It’s almost like when you travel internationally and come back home. You now appreciate the things you have at home just a little bit better. It’s a wonderful way to stretch and grow.”
