Board Profile: Paul Kaestle

Q: How long have you been involved with AFCM?

Paul Kaestle: I have been a Board member for five years.

Q: What is your role?

PK: I am Chairman of the Fundraising Committee and a member of the Marketing and Finance Committees. The most rewarding contributions I make are utilizing the skill I learned as a management consultant in market and financial analysis. These help to provide insights into patterns and trends in ticket sales and contributions. I then enjoy working with other Board members and our outside advisors to improve our operations based on those insights.

Q: Do you play an instrument?

PK: I played cello in junior and senior high and then took it up again after a 40-year hiatus in the mid 1990s and still play.

Q: How did you become interested in chamber music?

PK: I played and listened to symphonic music throughout school. My first exposure to chamber music was at Tanglewood [music festival and summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in western Massachusetts]. My most vivid early memory was Benny Goodman playing the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Chamber Orchestra.

Q: Are there other kinds of music you enjoy?

PK: [My wife] Marianne and I enjoy all forms of classical music and regularly attend symphonic, opera, and early music concerts in addition to being AFCM season subscribers.

Q: What is a little known fact about AFCM?

PK: I think the least well-exploited opportunities at AFCM are the master classes. We usually have five per year: one the Saturday before each Piano & Friends concert and two on Saturday during the Festival. They are free and open to the public. We have found that they are a wonderful way to gain real insight into the piece being played and are thoroughly enjoyable.

Q: Say a little bit about your interests outside of chamber music.

PK: Marianne and I have both been active in the Yale Club for six years and worked hard to help build the strongest university alumni club in Tucson. We love visiting our families in Philadelphia and Chicago. We still enjoy bird watching, being outdoors in nature, and our garden.