Get to know Pauline Jocqué: Production Manager of Le Concert Olympique

To get an orchestra on stage, a lot has to be done behind the scenes: from booking flights, over tuning pianos, to managing 50 musicians coming from all over the world. Le Concert Olympique engaged Pauline Jocqué from production agency Onstage to get the Beethoven27 project up and running. Together with Sarah Jelassi, she oversees all the production details. Curious about the responsibilities on the to-do list of this dedicated Production Manager of Le Concert Olympique?

Hi Pauline, I can imagine that preparing for a concert would require a lot of work. Which elements need to be arranged in advance?

Pauline: Our starting point is always the artistic concept set by conductor Jan Caeyers. As production managers, it is our job to fully develop and bring that vision to life. There is a lot involved: finding the right musicians, booking travel tickets and hotel rooms, organising catering, securing technical partners to transport the instruments and set up the stage, making sure all the necessary materials such as music stands and scores are available … Even arranging all the contracts for the musicians and ensuring they are signed, is part of our job.

When Le Concert Olympique tours abroad, I often travel with them. The range of tasks remains the same, with the key difference that in Belgium I am familiar with most of the venues, as opposed to those abroad. Working at a new venue is always a bit of an adjustment, but that makes it challenging. And, of course, there’s the language barrier to contend with, too (laughs).

Choosing and booking concert halls form an important part of your preparation. Do you always visit the halls beforehand? Which requirements do you consider essential for a great venue?

Pauline: The production team does not decide on the specific venue. I do not usually visit the chosen venues in advance, unless I happen to be in the area and can stop by briefly. Fortunately, I have enough experience to know in advance what works and what doesn’t in any given concert hall. Besides, I always stay in close contact with the venues, so I can request technical sheets, plans or photos of the concert hall well in advance.

If the concert takes place in, for example, a church that I do not know yet, I do like to check the acoustics and technical set-up beforehand. When setting up in a church, there are more things to consider: can we build the stage or is there an altar in the way? Can we arrange suitable lighting? Are there rooms we can use for the musicians to change, or do we need to use a nearby location? How can we organise the catering?

A lot to consider indeed. And we have only talked about the preparations. What exactly needs to happen on the concert day itself?

Pauline:  On concert days, we arrive at the venue early to ensure everything is set up, from dressing rooms and concert attire to catering. Together with the technicians, we prepare the stage as thoroughly as possible. We arrange the lighting, have the piano tuned and make sure everything is clear and in order.

We also guide the musicians around the venue, briefing them on all the arrangements. Once the concert begins, we stay on standby to keep musicians informed of timing cues, such as how many minutes they have before going on stage.

That’s a huge task. Since you are responsible for overseeing the time schedule, do you often feel stressed during set-up, rehearsals or final preparations?

Pauline: ‘Stress’ might be putting it a bit too strong.  As a Production Manager you need to stay calm, always put on a smile and get the most out of the limited time available, so that everyone is happy and there aren’t any tensions between technicians and musicians. If I were stressed, I wouldn't be the right person for the job.

Regarding the planning, Jan usually specifies in advance when he would like to plan rehearsals and run-throughs. It is my and Sarah’s job to ensure the musicians are in the right place at the right time and that rehearsals wrap up on time. Thankfully, Jan is always very mindful of timing himself.

Are there any special requirements or people you need to consider? Where does your responsibility end? Are there any limits?

Pauline: As Production Manager, my main responsibility is to ensure the musicians are as comfortable as possible throughout all stages of the performance. Along with Sarah, I make sure the musicians travel conveniently, have pleasant overnight stays, and, most importantly, can focus on performing on stage as relaxed as possible.

Of course, there are limits. I’m not a musician’s personal assistant. However, within the constraints of the budget and what’s feasible, I strive to make sure the musicians can focus solely on their music without worrying about anything else.

What do you find most challenging about your job as Production Manager? What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

Pauline: The core of my work is all about problem-solving and crisis management. With the production team, we aim to have everything in perfect order before we head out on tour. But there are always last-minute surprises: someone loses his passport, a musician falls ill during the tour, a button jumps off a shirt last-minute ... I have experienced it all (laughs).

Although we do our best to keep everything running smoothly until the end of the concert and afterwards, there is always an element of unpredictability. And that keeps it interesting.

Thank you, Pauline, for making time in your busy schedule. We wish you good luck with the upcoming preparations and last-minute problem-solving!

Foto: copyright Gent Festival van Vlaanderen