Peace  Corps  paves  way  to  arts  management    Communications  and  marketing  director  discovers  calling  By:  Ashley  David    Posters  of   past  university   student  performances  decorate  Erica  Bondarev’s   office   and  her  face  lights  up  when  she  talks  about  music,  dance  or  theater.  Her  passion  for  the  performing  arts  started  with  orchestra  at  the  age  of  four.  Bondarev  leads  a  busy  life  as  the  Director  of  Communications  and  Marketing  at  the  Clarice  Smith  Performing  Arts  Center.  She  promotes  performances  and  guides  her   team  of  communication  and  marketing  professionals  as  The  Center   celebrates   its   10th   anniversary.   However,   she   never   imagined   a   career   focused   on  managing  the  performing  arts.      She  graduated   from  Illinois  Wesleyan  University   in  1997  with  a  double  degree   in  Russian  and  International  Studies  and  a  minor  in  music.  Bondarev  discovered  her  unexpected  love  for  arts  management  when  she  organized  a  U.S.  tour  for  a  Russian  orchestra  during  her  time  as  a  Peace  Corps  Volunteer.  “I’m  drawn  towards  interesting  challenges,”  Bondarev  said.      The  motivation  to  tour      Dissatisfied  with   her   lack   of   proficiency   in   the  Russian   language,  Bondarev   joined   the   Peace   Corps   two   years   after   graduation   to  volunteer   and   immerse   herself   in   the   rich   Russian   culture.   “I  graduated   with   a   Russian   degree   but   I   still   sucked   at   speaking  Russian,”   Bondarev   admitted.   “I  was   always   in   this   international  vain,  but  I  was  still  frustrated  I  didn’t  have  the  language  skills  for  Russian.”        She   taught   English   to   Russian   college   students   in   the   city   of  Volgograd  as  a  volunteer.  Additionally,  she  was  required  to  find  a  secondary   project   of   interest,   which   she   hoped   would   be   an  orchestra  to  continue  her  love  for  performing  arts.        She   asked   her   Russian   students   for   advice   and   learned   of   a  professional   orchestra   in   the   city–   Volgograd   Philharmonic  orchestra,  under  the  direction  of  Edward  Serov.  “He  put  me  in  the  back  with  the  [second  row],  but  he  let  me  play.  I  was  a  full  blown  member  of  the  orchestra,”  Bondarev  said.        Serov  let  her  play,  but  also  asked  her  to  make  his  dream  for  the  orchestra  come  true  with  a  tour   in   the  United  States.  The  orchestra  had  toured  throughout  Europe,  but  never  made  a  U.S.  appearance.  From  this  request,  Bondarev’s  path  to  arts  management  began.        Bring  on  the  struggle      “Russians  think  of  the  U.S.  and  they  think  New  York,”  Bondarev  said.    Serov  had  a  vision  of  the   orchestra   playing   in   the   concrete   jungle   of   New   York   City,   specifically   the   majestic  Carnegie  Hall.    This  dream  was  too  far   fetched  for  what  was  available  through  Bondarev’s  U.S.   connections.   Instead,   she   successfully   secured   an   impressive   five-­‐city,   two-­‐week   tour  across  Illinois,  her  home  state.  Bondarev  said,  “It  was  a  little  homegrown,  it  wasn’t  exactly  V.I.P.”  

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“Private  Preview  2011”  at  The  Clarice  Smith  Performing  Arts  Center.  Source:  Erica  Bondarev.    

 Any  marketing  or  public  relations  they  did  for  the  tour  was  “grass  root  stuff,”  according  to  Bondarev.   The   press   in   Volgograd   as   well   as   press   from   the   five   different   U.S.   cities   the  orchestra   played   in   covered   the   orchestra’s   tour.   Bondarev’s   dad   “piggybacked   on  marketing  for  each  venue”  and  played  a  key  role  in  contacting  the  press  in  the  U.S.      The   Illinois  State  Arts  Council   funded  the   tour  with  a  grant   that  paid  mostly   for  orchestra  members’  travel  fees.  While  on  tour  throughout  all  five  cities,  Bondarev  relied  on  the  help  of  family   friends   to   act   as   housing   hosts   and   the   hospitality   of   universities   for   housing   and  food.      Another  “hurdle”  they  overcame  were  visas  for  everyone  in  the  orchestra  who  travelled  to  the   U.S.     Bondarev’s   dad   aided   again   from   the   U.S.   by   “enlisting   the   help   of   a   man   who  worked   for   the   Chicago   Symphony   orchestra”.     This   man   navigated   the   members   of   the  Volgograd  Philharmonic  orchestra   through   immigration   for  visa  approvals   to   travel   to   the  U.S.            Look  back  and  smile      Bondarev  recalls  a  fond  memory  of  a  picnic  that  her  family  held  for  the  orchestra  and  all  of  the   host   families   at   the   end   of   U.S.   tour.   “This   was   about   a   bunch   of   individuals,   human  beings  that  had  this  common  language  of  music  and  art,”  she  said.  “There  was  just  a  really  cool  feeling  of  camaraderie.”  The  melodies  of  the  musicians  and  the  exchange  of  visions  by  the  artists  brought  everyone  together.    Although   she   worked   tirelessly,   Bondarev   felt   like   her   efforts   never   met   Serov’s  expectations.  They  were  only  able  to  bring  20  members  from  the  80-­‐member  orchestra  and  Serov’s  dream  of  Carnegie  Hall  did  not  come  true.  However,  Bondarev  is  still  proud  of  her  experience.   In   reference   to   arts  management   she   said,   “I   don’t   think   I   could  have   learned  any  of  this  in  any  other  way.”    Bondarev  used  this  experience  as  motivation  to  complete  a  master’s  certificate  at  American  University  in  Arts  Management.    She  also  worked  at  Baltimore  Symphony  Orchestra  for  five  years   before   coming   to   The   Center.   “She   is   dedicated   to   the   arts,”   Eileen   Andrews,  Bondarev’s   former  colleague  at   the  Baltimore  Symphony  Orchestra,  said.   “   I  was  bitten  by  this  bug  of  this  side  of  arts  that’s  the  business  side,”  Bondarev  said.  “I  had  always  been  on  stage  and  it  never  occurred  to  me  that  somebody  is  doing  all  that  stuff  to  make  these  things  happen.”            

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“I  don’t  think  I  could  h