The opera isn't the most likely place for a full crowd brawl, but, as Joseph Volpe recounted Wednesday, it has happened.
In an informal discussion entitled "Leadership in the Arts," Volpe, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, retold the story of opera's "Valentine's Day Massacre," kicking off an entertaining hour of anecdotes.
During the late-morning forum, Volpe spoke to a group of roughly 30 people ranging from undergraduates to older faculty. The question-and-answer session focused on Volpe's experiences with the Met.
The career path Volpe took to arrive at where he is today was a prominent part of his remarks. Starting as a carpenter, he spent 20 years advancing through the company before becoming the first general manager to come from within the ranks of the Met.
Throughout his talk he stressed the personal sacrifices that must be made in a major leadership position. "If you want to be a leader," Volpe said, "it is going to run your life."
Another point Volpe emphasized in his speech was the need to do your best work all of the time. "If you don't love the process of striving for excellence," he said, "you will have a difficult time being a leader."
"I really enjoyed myself," Volpe said when asked about the forum. He added that the students in attendance "were really involved and asked intelligent questions.
"I appreciated that," he said.
The question-and-answer session was followed by a more exclusive lunch at La Terrasse, where Volpe continued the earlier discussion with 20 students over a meal provided by The Fox Leadership Program.
College sophomore Gina Geheb enjoyed the speech and luncheon. "I thought he made it very personal by giving examples in his career that may not necessarily be public information," she said.
The Fox Leadership Program was responsible for bringing Volpe to campus as part of its Leadership series. Chuck Brutsche, associate director of the Fox Leadership Program, said he was pleased to finally have Volpe come to campus. Volpe's friend, Larry Robbins, the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning programs, "has been telling me to get him for three years," Brutsche said.
Volpe also left the door open to the idea of returning. "I'm teaching a class at another university," he said, "and I'd love at some point to teach a class about managing the arts at Penn."
