This spring, long-serving Executive Director Deborah Fitts stepped down and was replaced by the multi-talented Emily Dobmeier. Following the close of this season, the orchestra will be operating out and about in a way not seen since Carl Eberl shifted its focus from being a private club’s orchestra to one that’s community-based.

Eberl had the orchestra performing in any space he could, including what is now known as Mid’s Park. This location was so successful that he led the drive to create a permanent stage, which he dedicated to his mentor and the orchestra’s former maestro, Paul White. Eberl also launched special events for kids, and had the orchestra perform in the Lake Placid Central School auditorium and the St. Agnes Catholic Church.

Eberl, serving as both the new music director and executive director, also had to rescue the orchestra’s music from the then-closed Lake Placid Club and apply for its nonprofit status, which included establishing its first board of directors. Critical to this transition were the orchestra’s musicians, many of whom helped secure the music in the late hours, recruit board members, and solicit donations. Additionally, many former club members provided housing for musicians, raised money, assisted in recruiting local audiences, and agreed to join the inaugural board.

Today, the Sinfonietta is a beloved community-based institution. Back then, few locals had ever heard the orchestra perform, as its audiences were primarily members of the Lake Placid Club for decades. Thus, the transition that Eberl and his colleagues pulled off is quite remarkable. As a result of Stuart Malina keeping the orchestra vibrant through COVID, and a dedicated board led by Robin Baxter, the Sinfonietta is well-positioned to move forward sans the LPCA as a base for at least a year.

Dobmeier is no stranger to the Adirondacks, having spent many summers at her family’s camp on Raquette Lake, as well as in her many years as Vice President of Operations and Artistic Planning at Luzerne Music Center, a summer music camp similar to Meadowmount, albeit with more diverse musical offerings and performances. At Luzerne, Dobmeier was active in fundraising and strategic planning, two skill sets the Sinfonietta board was looking for. An added asset is that Dobmeier is a professional musician and educator, skills valued by the Sinfonietta’s musicians.

“My husband and I have spent a lot of time in this region and have always been looking for a way to land in this area,” said Dobmeier. “As you can imagine, there haven’t been a lot of music jobs of this caliber, so when the position opened, I had to apply. When I started meeting all the board and community members throughout the process, I was sold. I am amazed by how involved the board is and how much they volunteer their time; it’s above and beyond.”

Dobmeier said that the Sinfonietta has an excellent reputation in the music world, and, as a professional musician and clarinet player, she had the opportunity to meet some of the orchestra’s musicians in other situations. She said that they all love coming back to Lake Placid to perform.

“It’s so exciting to get into the season and hear them play,” said Dobmeier. “They’re just incredible. They take their performances very seriously, work very hard, and are so good to each other. It’s a family amongst the orchestra.”

Dobmeier’s undergraduate degree is in performance and music education from Ithaca College, and she holds a Master’s in performance from DePaul University. She recently completed her doctorate in performance and literature at the Eastman School of Music and the University of Rochester. One of her passions is arts administration, which she developed over several summers working at music festivals.

“In light of the reductions in federal support for the arts and cuts to public broadcasting, I think we in the arts have to get creative,” said Dobmeier. “We have to lean into what we do well. We have to provide the highest level of music possible. What’s incredibly powerful about the Lake Placid and surrounding communities is that people show up and they support music. We, in turn, have to make sure we are playing at the highest level, that our audience is fully engaged, and continue to broaden our reach and introduce our music to young people. While the LPCA is closed, we plan to be in the community as much as possible.”

As excited as Dobmeier is to take on the role of executive director, so is Robin Baxter, president of the Sinfonietta’s board, who said that Emily was their most desired applicant from those who applied, right from the “get-go.”

“Emily had to land running as we have to come up with new venues for next summer,” said Baxter. “We’ve been reviewing options and costs and hope to have the final schedule in a couple of weeks, and then we’ll figure out our programming.”

Sinfonietta board member Clayton McCleskey led the search that resulted in the board’s selection of Dobmeier. He said they were looking for someone who had a vision for the future of the Sinfonietta and the administrative, organizational, and strategic skills to bring that vision to reality. He described Dobmeier as a top-notch administrator, musician, and people person.

No less excited are the musicians, including even the new acting assistant concertmaster, violinist Vlad Hontila.

“Emily is great,” said Hontila. “She’s very friendly, smart, and good with people. She’s the right person for the job. I think Emily being a professional musician makes a tremendous difference; having someone from the field in such a position because they understand the needs of the musicians.”

“I think Emily is a terrific person,” said Maestro Stuart Malina. “She’s excited about being here, looking to purchase a house, has a young family, and a lot of youthful energy. Much more important is that Emily has a wide range of skills, an incredibly deep skill set. She understands all the logistics of how this kind of operation works.”

Not to be lost in all the excitement is the rich schedule of performances that Malina has arranged for this summer. As their first couple of performances have demonstrated, the orchestra has never sounded better, and Malina’s reminder that they constantly need housing for musicians, which brings with it the benefit of hearing them rehearse.

During the transition, the Sinfonietta’s offices will be located at Uihlein Farm on Bear Cub Lane, thanks to the generous support of the Uihlein Foundation.

(Naj Wikoff lives in Keene Valley and has been writing his column for the Lake Placid News since 2005.)