Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • FALL 2016 • PAN PIPES 21 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A PEEK INTO PUBLISHING An Interview With Janis Susskind Although I knew the parents of Janis Susskind for many years, I had only seen her once before we met in London for an interview this summer. Previously, in the mid-seventies, she and her husband, the late Walter Susskind, attended a Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra concert reception I hosted for cello soloist Leonard Rose, my teacher at Meadowmount in the summers of 1959-1961. Leonard Slatkin, the assistant conductor at the time, was there too, as well as Janis's parents, John and Betty Ruth Tomfohrde. Janis's mother, Juilliard trained, was a marvelous pianist in her own right and a successful teacher whose approach to technique could be traced back in a direct line to Beethoven and Czerny. Janis, a violinist, still plays once or twice a month in string quartets, quintets, and sextets — according to the availability of chamber music players. She is currently the Managing Director of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publisher Limited. She has promoted classical music and contemporary composers for over 30 years. Under her leadership, the company's revenues from new music performances have doubled since 2004. I was curious about her experiences that lead to this position. What led you to enter the publishing world? Serendipity. When my husband died unexpectedly in 1980, I began to look for a job in London and explored possibilities in artist management, music publishing, and book publishing. [Janis has a degree in English from Princeton University.] I was offered an entry level job at Boosey & Hawkes typing index cards and thought I should start somewhere. I haven't looked back. But it seems you have looked forward! I was always interested in contemporary literature and the contemporary arts in general, so I find working with contemporary music quite natural— even though I had a lot to learn. What advice can you give composers looking to be published? Try to round up friends and students to perform their music so that they have audio recordings of their works. Build a track record of performances. Unfortunately, there are not enough publishers to go around for all of the gied composers in the world. But fortunately, there has never been a better time to be self-published because of the Internet, social media, and the ability to connect with audiences all over the world. Do it yourself as far as you can and then perhaps a publisher will take over. But there is no guarantee. As a woman, have there been any special challenges to overcome to get to the top? Not really. I think publishing is a particularly friendly profession for women. What advice do you have for women musicians looking to enter the publishing field? Apply for any job going—however humble—and find out whether the field suits you, which is exactly what happened to me. Humility and patience are key. I recently read that you were awarded an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for your services to music. Were you surprised by the award? It came completely out of the blue, and I was particularly pleased because Above, Elliot Carter and Janis Susskind SUSSKIND continued on page 22

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