Left: Henry Fogel (photo by Layne Dixon); Right: Henry with his extensive record collection circa 1963 (photo by Steffan Aletti)
Beyond Music Appreciation Classical Music Is Henry Fogel’s Life Work
Courtney Oliver
Market & Special Events Manager
In the orchestra world, the name Henry Fogel is well known and carries a lot of weight. His current titles include Director of Performing Arts Administration and Dean Emeritus of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, as well as a leading arts executive and consultant. His bio includes President and Executive Director positions at the League of American Orchestras and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and he has led numerous high-profile boards. He has lent his experience and connections to multiple orchestras and arts organizations. That list now includes the Spartanburg Philharmonic. His prominence and expertise may be evident, but his pure love of classical music and the arts drives his decades-long commitment to the industry.
for 26 different orchestras across the US and Canada, raising millions of dollars along the way. While continued his involvement with radio throughout his career, Henry Fogel and his friends sold WONO in 1978, after which Fogel turned his eyes and passion firmly to the symphony world. His first position was as the orchestra manager of the New York Philharmonic. From there, he moved to the Chicago Symphony, where he held the position of Executive Director, then President and CEO from 1985-2003. From there on to the American Symphony Orchestra League, now the League of American Orchestras. Henry Fogel is quoted by the Chicago Tribune saying, “I’ve been fortunate to make a living in something that’s a hobby and a passion.” Spending his career in music administration has allowed him “to work in the field of music without having to be good enough to perform in it. It combines [his] love and knowledge of music with the process of management, leading people, directing people”.
Henry studied music history and piano at Syracuse University. In 1963, he and fellow students took over a failing FM radio station and turned it into a fulltime classical music station - WONO. For 15 years, Fogel and his friends ran the station, with Fogel doing much of the programming himself. Along the way, he pioneered the idea of a charity “radiothon” benefiting an orchestra and in 1968 raised $8,000 for the Syracuse Symphony. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Fogel continued to help produce similar programs
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Henry’s combined passion and expertise led the Spartanburg Philharmonic Board of Directors to request his leadership assistance in finding our
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