Arts Advocates: John Forsyte
John Forsyte
SYMPHONIC LEADER
Q&A with John Forsyte
John Forsyte is president and CEO of the Pacific Symphony. During his 27-year tenure, he has been a strong advocate for music education across Orange County, including at UC Irvine, where the Pacific Symphony’s Side-by-Side rehearsal series features professionals alongside UCI students. Forsyte is also a member of the Claire Trevor Society and UC Irvine’s Chief Executive Roundtable.
Q. From your perspective, what makes the partnership between Pacific Symphony and UCI Arts so successful and enduring?
JF: Our partnership lasts because of the relationships we’ve built over time and our institutions' shared purpose. Our concertmaster Dennis Kim serves on the music faculty. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege to work with Chancellor Howard Gillman, Vice Chancellor Brian Hervey, Chief Executive Roundtable Executive Director Goran Matijasevic, and several deans and faculty and have always been incredibly impressed with their leadership and vision as it relates to the arts.
Q. What outcomes from the Side-by-Side rehearsal series are you most proud of?
JF: As an amateur violinist myself, I sat with the symphony, and one thing I took away from that is a better appreciation of the speed, agility and concentration required of a professional musician. The Side-by-Side rehearsals give students opportunities to have conversations with professional musicians, to work with a world-renowned conductor, and then play in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. It’s an electrifying experience for a young musician.
Q. As a leader in the arts, how do you approach building partnerships that are mutually beneficial for institutions while serving a greater public good?
JF: It starts with asking the right question: Why does this matter to the people we’re going to serve? A great example was working with Magnus Egerstedt, dean of the Samueli School of Engineering, and Tiffany López, dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, on the Engineering Symphonic-Orchestra New Instrument Challenge (E-SONIC). It started with a conversation about a fun engineering challenge and ended up with an experience that broadened students’ perspective of the arts. UC Irvine’s deans are fast, entrepreneurial and unafraid to work with organizations outside their expertise. The university’s enthusiasm for creativity is really a cultural phenomenon and makes it a very exciting partner.
Q. How have you seen Dean López’s focus on community partnerships and career pathways for students helped bolster arts more broadly across our community and our region?
JF: I’ve had the privilege of working with a number of very talented deans at UC Irvine, but Tiffany’s exuberance for her work and for external partnerships is unlike anyone else. We’ve talked a lot about the future of arts students and where music majors can go, knowing that the degree of competition for symphony orchestra jobs is exceptionally difficult. Young musicians need to know their music degree is so much more than playing an instrument. Music is one of the most rigorous ways to develop your creative abilities and kinesthetic memory. Music is a lifetime avocation, and she’s working to develop ways for students to see the big world they can pursue with music.
Q. With the pressures facing both arts and education, how do you envision universities and arts organizations working together to continue to inspire the next generation of musicians and audiences?
JF: The financial pressure is real. The opportunity to partner and explore new pathways performing music that's relevant to a new generation can be extremely powerful. I can’t incubate all the new directions that the art can take, but university artists and students — by virtue of their perspective and connection to technology — can offer new insights. And within a research institution, we can create fast prototypes for projects and experimental programs. We have Alexander Shelley joining the symphony as Music Director Designate in 2026, and many students came to see him conduct earlier this year. Honestly, nothing is more joyous for me than to see a bunch of young people at the concert hall — it’s very promising for the future.
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