No Isn’t Forever: Grit, Confidence, and Early Challenges

Our special anniversary series Behind the Baton: Looking Back on 20 Years of

Memories, Milestones and Magical Moments continues. Enjoy!

By Zandra Wolfgram

Q: Were the early days a struggle?

DF: I never thought of it as a struggle. It was something we just had to do. I was not alone.

We still have an engaged board of at least a dozen members, and there are well over 100

names on our volunteer roster. With our founding partners and board of directors, we laid

out a great plan. The first three seasons were a little tough financially. We always had

incredible patrons and support. Starting during an economic downturn catapulted the

urgency to create a solid, capable organization. A big reason for our success is that,

administratively, we organized a strong ensemble of people running things behind the

scenes, and we have that to this day.

Q: Did you ever have doubts?

DF: I was always very confident. Ego and confidence are two different things. I never paid

attention to what people said, I just did it. I said, ‘Yes, you can and watch us.’ You figure out

ways to turn a no into a positive, and therein lies the magic.

Q: What is your secret to success?

DF: There is no secret other than hard work and tenacity. I always joke that talent factors in

there somewhere, but that is not the leading force. I surround myself with amazing

sponsors, artists, and staff members who first believe in Sinfonia Gulf Coast, and

were—and still are—capable of following through on the quality level Sinfonia is known

for.