Backstage at the CSO: Monica Wentz

Manager of Artistic Planning and Special Projects Monica Wentz came to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association with a background in viola performance and artistic management. Among the many duties of her current role, Wentz finds it especially fulfilling to be part of the long-term planning processes that culminate in the performances and events enjoyed by CSOA patrons.

How long have you been working for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association?

I have worked for the CSOA since November 2012.

Could you describe your job duties as manager of artistic planning and special projects?

In artistic planning, we work with our music director, guest conductors and composers-in-residence to select and confirm artists and repertoire for each season. We negotiate artist and commission contracts and manage daily operations, ensuring the seamless transition between long-term planning and implementation. In this role, I am also responsible for creating the orchestra’s rehearsal and concert schedule in compliance with our collective bargaining agreement, drafting and managing the artistic budget and assisting with backstage guest artist support during high-volume weeks.

What was your career path before your current position, and what led you to the CSO?

I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Delaware in viola performance, with a minor in music management and French language certificate, and my graduate degree in viola performance at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. Before coming to work at the CSO, I was the artist liaison for the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival in Colorado, and I worked in the musician advancement, community engagement and development departments for the New World Symphony in Miami Beach. I applied for a position with the CSO in hopes of finding a job in artistic planning at a major symphony orchestra.

What’s one of the most rewarding parts of your job?

In my position, I get to be a part of the early planning stages for programming ideas and special projects. Sometimes these ideas come from conductors, colleagues, orchestra musicians or even patrons. It is fulfilling to take these abstract concepts and complex projects and to transform them into performances and events over the course of several months, or even years, of planning.

Do you have a favorite concert or memory from your time at the CSOA?

My favorite concert was a set of special after-hours, site-specific performances we curated with our composers-in-residence at the Art Institute of Chicago as part of the 20th MusicNOW season. Audience members experienced a low-lit harpsichord performance in the American Sculpture Court and Ruth Crawford Seeger’s String Quartet 1931 against the backdrop of Chagall’s “America Windows.” The evening concluded with food and drinks in the Chicago Stock Exchange Trading Room during a performance by Cynthia Yeh of a Chris Cerrone work for percussion and electronics. Moving the audience around, deconstructing the typical concert experience and bringing music, art and architecture together was really special.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

In my spare time I love playing tennis, traveling and studying Italian. I also have a passion for historic architecture and preservation.