It's unfortunate that the Los Angeles Philharmonic, one of the world's leading orchestras, has been suffering from muddled leadership on the part of its board of directors. When Deborah Borda left the LA Phil's top administrative post in 2017, the board had the opportunity to promote Chad Smith, the orchestra's longtime chief of programming. Instead, it brought in Simon Woods, who had had success in previous jobs but who lacked Smith's vision and imagination, not to mention his deep knowledge of the organization. Woods's early departure, announced Monday, gives the board a second chance to make the right choice.
