Discussion Panel

Erich Graf is former principal flutist of the Utah Symphony. His teachers have included Nelson Hauenstein at the University of Michigan, Jean Pierre Rampal at the Académie Internationale in Nice, France, and Julius Baker at the Juilliard School. Previous to the Utah Symphony, Graf performed with the New York Philharmonic, the New Jersey Symphony, the Royal Ballet Orchestra, and the Stamford Symphony, among others.

Graf has appeared as soloist with the Utah Symphony, the Ann Arbor Symphony, and with the Arkansas Symphony. He has performed chamber music with Columbia University's Group for Contemporary Music, the Guarneri String Quartet and the Aeolian Chamber Players. He has performed at Avery Fischer Hall and Carnegie Hall with Julius Baker and Jean Pierre Rampal and in Utah with James Galway.

Mr. Graf's discography include a music video and two CDs featuring the works of Bach, Berio, Gaubert, Roussel, Prokofiev, Nobis, Borne, Varèse, Debussy, and Poulenc.

Outside interests include physical fitness, cooking, and writing. Mr. Graf is a published travel writer and restaurant critic, and served as President of Local 104, American Federation of Musicians from 1994-2011

Curt Long has served as Executive Director of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra since 1994. His tenure with the orchestra has seen the organization grow to unprecedented heights of artistic and business success and the 2003 opening of the magnificent Schuster Performing Arts Center.

Mr. Long holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Chicago and Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He played French Horn for eight years before electing to retire from performance, to the relief of audiences everywhere.

Before coming to Dayton, he served as Executive Director of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra in Wilmington. During 1991-92, he participated in the Orchestra Management Fellowship Program of the American Symphony Orchestra League, including residencies with the Los Angeles, Houston, and Grand Rapids orchestras.

Mr. Long’s initial foray into arts administration came as an intern in the Challenge and Advancement Programs of the National Endowment for the Arts. Prior to that he was Director of Finance for Shafer Event Management, a California company specializing in the development and operation of Formula One and Indy Car automobile racing events.

He lives with his wife and two children in Beavercreek.

Carla Johnson was appointed President and Executive Director of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in March, 2004. She spearheaded the strategic planning process, which resulted in the adoption of a five-year Strategic Plan in March 2005, and balanced the operating budget for the third consecutive year. Ms. Johnson oversaw the construction of the 2005-2006 season, which added three new series in the new Ferguson Center for the Arts at Christopher Newport University in Newport News; the new series helped push sales to an institutional record of over a million dollars in subscription sales. Having worked for over nine years with the Saint Louis Symphony Community Partnership Program, it is her particular goal to bring community engagement to Hampton Roads, and to that end she has begun a number of initiatives in schools, churches, and other community centers in the area.

Ms. Johnson is currently serving on the Collaborative Data Project Task Force and is an alumna of the Mellon Orchestra Forum.

Ms. Johnson received a B.A. in Honors Political Science and French Language, with an equivalent of a dance minor, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Her Masters in Arts Administration is from Brooklyn College.

With husband John Hickox and daughter Zoë, Ms. Johnson resides in Norfolk, Virginia; son Ian is off at the University of Virginia. While Carla Johnson is completely devoted to music and organizations which make the music, her passion is gardening because plants either live or die, but they don’t negotiate.

Erich Graf is former principal flutist of the Utah Symphony. His teachers have included Nelson Hauenstein at the University of Michigan, Jean Pierre Rampal at the Académie Internationale in Nice, France, and Julius Baker at the Juilliard School. Previous to the Utah Symphony, Graf performed with the New York Philharmonic, the New Jersey Symphony, the Royal Ballet Orchestra, and the Stamford Symphony, among others.

Graf has appeared as soloist with the Utah Symphony, the Ann Arbor Symphony, and with the Arkansas Symphony. He has performed chamber music with Columbia University's Group for Contemporary Music, the Guarneri String Quartet and the Aeolian Chamber Players. He has performed at Avery Fischer Hall and Carnegie Hall with Julius Baker and Jean Pierre Rampal and in Utah with James Galway.

Mr. Graf's discography include a music video and two CDs featuring the works of Bach, Berio, Gaubert, Roussel, Prokofiev, Nobis, Borne, Varèse, Debussy, and Poulenc.

Outside interests include physical fitness, cooking, and writing. Mr. Graf is a published travel writer and restaurant critic, and served as President of Local 104, American Federation of Musicians from 1994-2011

Chris Durham began violin study at age 4-1/2 in the first United States Suzuki class under the tutelage of Dr. John D. Kendall. Other teachers include David Cerone, Ronald Gorevic, George Moradian, Frederyk Sadowski and Robert Vernon.

Chris attended the National Music Camp at Interlochen, the St. Louis Conservatory of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He was a member of the St. Louis Municipal Theatre (MUNY) orchestra from 1977-1989 and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra from 1979-1991.

Durham's work as an activist began in Columbus in 1980. He served for many years as chairman of the orchestra committee and Vice-President of Local 103. In 1984 he was elected to the first Executive Board of ROPA. From 1991-1994 he was the Secretary and then Secretary-Treasurer of Local 2-197 (St. Louis MO.). Durham has served with all the directors of the Symphonic Services Division of the American Federation of Musicians since 1989. during this time he also was Trustee of Local 11-637 (Louisville KY.)

Curt Long has served as Executive Director of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra since 1994. His tenure with the orchestra has seen the organization grow to unprecedented heights of artistic and business success and the 2003 opening of the magnificent Schuster Performing Arts Center.

Mr. Long holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Chicago and Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He played French Horn for eight years before electing to retire from performance, to the relief of audiences everywhere.

Before coming to Dayton, he served as Executive Director of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra in Wilmington. During 1991-92, he participated in the Orchestra Management Fellowship Program of the American Symphony Orchestra League, including residencies with the Los Angeles, Houston, and Grand Rapids orchestras.

Mr. Long’s initial foray into arts administration came as an intern in the Challenge and Advancement Programs of the National Endowment for the Arts. Prior to that he was Director of Finance for Shafer Event Management, a California company specializing in the development and operation of Formula One and Indy Car automobile racing events.

He lives with his wife and two children in Beavercreek.

Erich Graf is former principal flutist of the Utah Symphony. His teachers have included Nelson Hauenstein at the University of Michigan, Jean Pierre Rampal at the Académie Internationale in Nice, France, and Julius Baker at the Juilliard School. Previous to the Utah Symphony, Graf performed with the New York Philharmonic, the New Jersey Symphony, the Royal Ballet Orchestra, and the Stamford Symphony, among others.

Graf has appeared as soloist with the Utah Symphony, the Ann Arbor Symphony, and with the Arkansas Symphony. He has performed chamber music with Columbia University's Group for Contemporary Music, the Guarneri String Quartet and the Aeolian Chamber Players. He has performed at Avery Fischer Hall and Carnegie Hall with Julius Baker and Jean Pierre Rampal and in Utah with James Galway.

Mr. Graf's discography include a music video and two CDs featuring the works of Bach, Berio, Gaubert, Roussel, Prokofiev, Nobis, Borne, Varèse, Debussy, and Poulenc.

Outside interests include physical fitness, cooking, and writing. Mr. Graf is a published travel writer and restaurant critic, and served as President of Local 104, American Federation of Musicians from 1994-2011

Eric Anderson serves as Principal Bassoonist and Orchestra Personnel Manager with the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera. He performs regularly with the Alabama Symphony and the New Hampshire Music Festival has been a member of the Virginia Symphony, the Bergen Philharmonic, Norway. A native of North Carolina, he studied bassoon with Ben Kamins at Rice University. When not making reeds, he spends his free time hiking the mountains of East Tennessee and New Hampshire. For his midlife crisis in 2008 he hopes to thru hike the Appalachian Trail and not touch the bassoon or answer his cell phone for at least 6 months.