Nick & Susan Brown Orchestrating Change at Opus XXIX

For Nick Brown, a love of symphonic music dates back to some of his earliest childhood memories, when he recalls late nights spent listening to his parents’ classical records. Though the mediums have changed over the years, music has remained a passion of Nick’s, making him and his wife, Susan, a perfect fit to chair the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Opus Ball XXIX.

Nick, who was born in Hope, met Susan, a Little Rock native, at Southwest Power Pool (SPP), where he began his career as an engineer nearly 28 years ago. These days, Susan dedicates her time to serving the community, while Nick has served as president and CEO at SPP since 2003. Though the couple has always enjoyed visits to the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO), it wasn’t until former board of directors chairman, Michael Shelley, approached Nick with a favor that the couple became more than just audience members.

Shelley’s plan was to restructure the focus of the board, and he hoped to tap into Nick’s business savvy to help with a strategic planning initiative. Soon, Nick was serving on the executive committee and now serves as chair of the governance committee, working to restructure the by-laws of the ASO board and applying his corporate perspective to what has turned out to be a very challenging task.

“I knew from the beginning of the strategic planning process that we would need to work very hard to engage all parties involved,” he says. “It couldn’t be a product of the board saying, ‘Okay, staff and musicians, here it is. Go implement it.’” Nick admits that the symphony staff and musicians made a lot of concessions, but their ability to work with the board is, in large part, how the ASO has managed to remain in the black, a difficult plight in our sputtering economy.

“I talk with business counterparts that serve on symphony boards around the nation and they’re not having the same luck,” he says. “In some cases, things have gotten nasty between the musicians, staff and board members. You end up with three different parties all pulling the organization in different directions. But we have a blend of people that really care more about the ASO than just their individual participation. That’s critical.”

Nick’s ability to apply corporate principles to philanthropic goals extends further than the ASO, however. Employees at SPP are encouraged to engage in the community, and their involvement drives the focus of the corporate company’s philanthropic efforts — everything from shelter and health organizations to music and the arts. “We have a lot of employees that enjoy going to the symphony,” he says. “The company purchases a block of tickets for employee use and they’re always very popular — even more popular than sporting events.”

It’s no surprise music is such a popular subject among the employees at SPP. Numerous studies have shown a connection between music and engineering and mathematics, and many engineers practice music of some sort in their spare time. Nick and Susan are no exception. Nick plays trumpet and sings in the River City Men’s Chorus. And he’s not alone. “There are five Southwest Power Pool employees that sing in the River City Men’s Chorus. I think the link between music and technically minded people shocks the general public, but it’s true. We’re a primarily technical group, but man, do we have a lot of musicians on staff.”

Susan has been singing with church choirs since childhood, and recently began taking guitar lessons. “It’s been interesting picking up an instrument,” she says. “I now have a small appreciation for the hours and hours the ASO musicians spend to produce such an incredible sound. I wouldn’t say that I ever took that for granted because I’ve always loved it, but I’m looking at it now in a different way.”

This year, the Browns are taking their appreciation of the symphony to new heights as chairs of Opus Ball XXIX. The black-tie event, which takes place Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Capital Hotel, is touted as one of Arkansas’ most elegant. “Celebration” is the evening’s buzzword, illustrated with details such as a champagne aperitif as well as a custom-designed necklace by Sissy’s Log Cabin’s Christo Kiffer. The magnificent, one-of-a-kind auction item features a 42.7-carat citrine, similar in color and bubbly texture to the evening’s signature drink. Attendees may browse auction items, taste hors d’oeuvres prepared by Capital Hotel chefs during the cocktail reception, and enjoy music by Arkansas Symphony Orchestra musicians as well as a special performance by the ASO Youth Orchestra. After dinner, guests will dance the night away to music from the ASO Big Band.

Proceeds from Opus Ball — which totaled $450,000 last year — benefit the ASO’s wide-ranging musical education activities and initiatives and are the primary funding source of the ASO Youth Orchestra and the organization’s school music programs.

“The benefits for our children and our state are too numerous to list,” says Music Director Phillip Mann, “but they range from higher academic, financial and life achievements for our children, to significant economic development in our communities, to dramatically increased quality of life in our state.”

For the Browns, who have four grown children and two grandchildren, the educational aspect of the symphony is of the upmost importance. “I don’t think the public has an appreciation for just how big the youth educational aspect of the ASO is — and that’s a shame,” says Nick. “Over the 54 years of my life, I’ve seen that kids who have access to music education do very well in life. It engages the mind in the technical aspects of producing music, and it engages the heart and the soul in how it touches people. More often than not, people whose lives have been touched by music in more than just a cursory way seem to avoid all the traps in life.”

Susan agrees. “These programs give access to musical education to children who would never have access to it otherwise.” But the Browns’ goal is to expose as many people as possible to the joys of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, noting that the symphony musicians not only travel to schools around the state, but many hail from outside of Little Rock. Nick also credits Executive Director Christina Littlejohn and Music Director Philip Mann for the innovative and engaging work they’ve done to expose new people to the symphony.

“Orchestral music is powerful, uplifting, and so incredibly special when you look at our modern lifestyle,” Mann says. “It is easy to become hooked, and when someone has had the experience, that’s where a natural desire to support the organization derives from. I think everybody deserves the chance to experience first-hand the extraordinary beauty of our art form.”

Opus Ball XXIX
When: 6 p.m.–midnight, Saturday, Nov. 16      
Where: The Capital Hotel     
Tickets + Info: 666-1761, OpusBall.org

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