Growing up in a small town in New Mexico, Justin Foo thought he knew what his future would be. Music was his passion, and when it came time to leave home to further his education, he was convinced he was on the path to a career in the arts. Louisiana State University (LSU) seemed like the perfect place to pursue that dream.
“I started to study vocal music. I had big dreams of being a choral conductor,” he says. “Then I slowly realized, oh, there are two jobs in the nation where you can actually do that without teaching. I still have tons of friends who are teaching. I admire their skills and their passion so much, but I know I do not have the heart or stamina to be able to teach.”
Rather than give up on his passion for music, Justin began looking for another path. He found it through a professor in LSU's Honors College who specialized in cultural policy.
“He taught me about how we fund the arts in America, since it’s such a drastically different model than any other nation, and how we sustain the arts in America,” he says. “This got me into my area of arts administration. I started out in philanthropy and have moved over to marketing and ticketing for the past 12 years.”
While Justin was at LSU, his family relocated to Los Angeles. After graduating, he headed west too, expecting it to be little more than a temporary stop while he figured out what came next. As it turned out, he loved California and, although he began his career in the corporate world, he eventually found his way back to the arts, joining Center Theatre Group in donor development. From there, he moved to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he now serves as Director of Sales and Customer Engagement.
Justin at Walt Disney Concert Hall, which is managed and operated by the LA Phil.
For Justin, the job is about far more than selling tickets.
“We get to be a part of people’s lives and memories,” he says. “I love that I get to work with spaces and artists that are part of someone’s lifelong memories that they’ve shared with friends and families and are continuing to talk about years and decades after … We get to work at some very special places that people choose to come to. I love seeing the excitement or joy on people’s faces as they enter the venue, the first notes of a concert start to play, or their favorite band walks out on stage. And I love hanging out during egress and hearing the audience buzz as they leave a venue.”
Justin believes creating those memorable experiences is never the work of just one person. Behind every successful performance is a team of people working toward the same goal, and that has shaped the qualities he values most in those around him.
“Collaboration is probably what I look for most in my colleagues,” he says. “I’m incredibly grateful for the respect and trust that we’ve created on our teams here at the LA Phil and how these have fostered an environment where each of us feels comfortable to share our ideas and opinions.”
That same philosophy influences the kind of leader he strives to be and the leaders he most admires.
“I’ve been so privileged to have some amazing leaders and mentors in my life, including INTIX’s Patricia G. Spira Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Joe Carter," he says. “What I’ve found so impactful with some of the most inspiring leaders I’ve gotten to work with is that they can create a vision and empower their colleagues to help shape that vision. I’ve had the good fortune to work with some amazing leaders who have been the epitome of integrity and align their actions with their words.”
Justin with Joe Carter at INTIX 2024, Las Vegas.
Justin adds, “I admire all of my colleagues so much, especially our box office team here at the LA Phil. Between Kishisa Ross, who's our box office treasurer here at the Bowl, Paige Messerly, who's our box office treasurer at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and of course, Joe Carter, who I just mentioned. They are three of the biggest mentors I've had, and I continue to learn from them every day, just from the way they carry themselves professionally and personally. They’re such great role models to learn from and to model myself after each day.”
Whether he's talking about colleagues, patrons or friends, Justin keeps coming back to one word: passion.
“Passion inspires me,” he says. “I consistently talk to my colleagues about this. The inverse of affinity and affection is not hatred. It’s not anger. It’s apathy. So even when our patrons are frustrated or escalated, that’s coming from a place of passion. That’s coming from a place where they care so much about what we do and who we are that they’ve taken the time to express that frustration. I know it doesn’t feel like that, but this is actually showing how invested and how much they care about the LA Phil.”
That passion is just as palpable for Justin when a performance is about to begin.
“Getting to go around the house and hearing that roar of a crowd, or feeling that raw energy before a concert, really excites me.”
Away from work, Justin’s curiosity about people never seems to switch off. He is drawn to those who bring enthusiasm and a genuine spark for whatever interests them.
“I’m so grateful, again, personally and professionally, to be surrounded by people who inspire me, and I just feed off of their energy,” he says. “I love people who get excited about things and teach me about new things. I love to see what makes other folks tick and hear about why they’re so excited.”
He laughs as he recalls a recent road trip with friends to California's Sequoia National Forest.
“I’m not a nature person,” he admits. “A couple of my friends said, ‘Hey, we’re going up to the Sequoia National Forest. Do you want to come?’ I thought, ‘You know what? I’m going to get out of my comfort zone.’ Everything I learned from them, and how excited they got about every little thing they saw, like a specific bird, and all of the topics and the trivia that they could teach me, was so amazing. I love seeing that passion and excitement in other folks, regardless of what the topic is. Just seeing what makes people tick is something that I really like in a person.”
Travel is another way Justin indulges that curiosity, and one destination in particular keeps drawing him back.
“One of my favorite places to visit is New Orleans. The city is truly one of a kind,” he says. “It’s such a vibrant and welcoming city, and there is always something new to discover or eat. Anyone looking for recommendations for things to do or places to eat during INTIX 2027 can hit me up.”
That same willingness to push his limits has led to some unexpected rewards. Two years ago, after months of turning down a friend’s invitations, Justin finally agreed to join a dodgeball league.
“Being a grown adult playing dodgeball sounded absurd to me,” he says. “After declining my friend’s invite multiple times, he caught me in between meetings one day and asked, ‘Don’t you want to try it for one season?’ In a rush to get off the phone, I said, ‘Sure, whatever.’ Two hours later, I thought to myself, ‘Wait, what did I just commit to?’ It’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in a very long time. First off, I was shocked at how athletic it can be. And I’ve met some of my closest friends through the league.”
His friendships reflect two qualities Justin values in any relationship.
“Support and laughter,” he says. “One of the key aspects of friendship, or any relationship, is to uplift the other individual. I also love to laugh. Allegedly, I have a pretty notable laugh and am repeatedly told, ‘Yeah, I knew you were here before I saw you. I heard your laugh.’ I’m a sucker for a terrible pun or dad joke any time!”
Yes, I asked the question you’re probably thinking right now. One of Justin’s favorite dad jokes is: Did you hear about the outer-space-themed restaurant? It already closed down. It had no atmosphere.
Justin has also found the spirit of friendship and support throughout the INTIX community. For him, the organization is as much about the people as it is about the profession.
“The sense of community and connections from INTIX are priceless,” he says. “I cannot count the times that I’ve called another INTIX member to ask, ‘Hey, I’m dealing with this right now. Have you experienced this? How did you handle it?’”
Relationships with ticketing peers do more than provide support. They often give Justin an early look at the issues that will eventually land on his desk.
“INTIX to me is that place where I go for the cutting-edge information on not only what is impacting us, but also how to respond to it,” he says. “I feel like before something comes across my desk, I'm hearing about it via INTIX from two weeks to six months beforehand.”
He points in particular to the Wednesday Wisdom calls, where members regularly compare notes on emerging issues.
“When it does finally come to be something that I have to respond to or interact with, I’ve already talked about it, I’ve already heard all about it and been informed by INTIX,” he shares.
Relationships have also broadened Justin's perspective on the industry.
“INTIX is one of the most beneficial and rewarding organizations in which I participate,” he says. “The wide range of perspectives and experiences is so helpful. Working in the arts for close to 18 years, it’s always helpful to learn what other areas of our industry, like pro sports, colleges and arenas, are experiencing and to provide insights into what the arts may experience. The vendors and sponsors that are part of INTIX always help to ensure that I’m up to date on the latest technologies and tools out there to help us advance our operations.”
Justin with (L-R) Caila Gale, Michelle Carrasquillo and Chris Prince at the Tessitura Learning & Community Conference (TLCC).
Of course, nearly two decades in the industry have also given Justin some strong opinions about what he would change. Asked what he would do if granted three wishes, he needs only one.
“Well, one would be to stop credit card fraud and save all of us from that credit card fraud and malicious resale activity,” he says. “I’ll pass on the other two.”
Other than seeing Shawn Robertson dressed as bacon, one of Justin's most memorable INTIX experiences came in 2024 when he joined Darren Coelho, Matt Cooper and Bernie Berry for a conference workshop presentation.
“Having that opportunity to share that experience with those three gentlemen, and learning from their wealth of information, was really special to me,” he says.
Justin is equally enthusiastic when the conversation turns to music. Working in the performing arts has given him a front-row seat to some extraordinary live events, which makes asking him to name a favorite song, musician, band or artist an almost impossible task.
“Being a musician, this is literally the hardest question you can ask me ever, because my music goes from everything from early chant to the Chicks. They’re celebrating an anniversary of one of their albums, so they’re touring. I’ve been revisiting that album, so I’ve been really digging into them right now. It’s so hard because it all depends on the time and place for me of what music I’m really feeling at that moment. But at heart, I’m still a little country boy, so I love [the Chicks].”
He continues, “Studying vocal music and opera, Renée Fleming is not only a phenomenal musician, but just a phenomenal artist with what she’s doing for performing arts at this time … Whenever I put on my Spotify with friends, I’m like, you cannot just put random shuffle on my playlist, because you will get everything. Looking at what is on my top-played music right now on Spotify, it goes from the new Madonna album to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, to the Chicks, to Sabrina Carpenter. The LA Phil, of course, is also in my top five played. It’s really all over the place. That is such a hard question. It will literally change from hour to hour if you ask me what my favorite song is, or who my favorite musician is, or who I’m listening to.”
Justin was then faced with another hard question: What’s the best live event you’ve ever seen and why?
“This is too hard of a question! This is like asking me which of my children is my favorite,” he says, laughing. “I honestly don’t know if I can pick the best live event that I’ve ever seen, so I’ll give you two of my most memorable concerts. In 2009, two of my friends asked me if I wanted to go to the Wiltern (which seats about 1,900 people) to see Lady Gaga. At that time, I hadn’t heard of her. I remember going and thinking, ‘This person is going to be a superstar.’ It was so cool to see her as a literal unknown.”
He continues, “Another concert that was an absolute surprise to me was the tribute to Jimmy Buffett at the Hollywood Bowl. I have to confess, I’m not a huge Jimmy Buffett fan. To see a cavalcade of stars from Paul McCartney to Pitbull on one stage was insane. What I remember the most about that night is how everyone on that stage spoke about the impact Jimmy had on them as both an artist and person.”
As remarkable as those experiences were, however, none has stayed with Justin quite like the moment he witnessed live music return after the pandemic.
The Hollywood Bowl re-opened with a series of socially distanced concerts, the first dedicated to healthcare and essential workers who had carried their communities through months of uncertainty. It was a moving concert that he will never forget.
“It was the LA Phil with Gustavo Dudamel, and I believe we had some special guest artists on that bill as well. It was a team effort. My job was connecting with our nonprofit organizations and local officials to make sure we were getting that right audience, so getting to work with our Department of Health folks directly to make sure that their team members were being recognized and thanked and invited,” he reminisces. “Getting to walk around that house and see those folks so excited, so happy to be there, and also being in that venue for the first time in months, was such an emotional moment. I remember the orchestra came out on stage, the stage was filled with a light pink lighting and looking up and seeing the two searchlights that are over the Bowl, and just exhaling and being like, ‘Oh my gosh, I'm home.’”
Justin (right) with Gustavo Dudamel.
Moments like that help explain why Justin treasures collectibles that sit in his office rather than at home. Asked about his most prized possession, he doesn’t mention an expensive purchase or family heirloom. Instead, he spins around in his chair and pulls out a growing collection of Playbills and programs from shows he has worked on throughout his career.
“I’ve been meaning to get them framed,” he says. “The first one is my Playbill signed by Angela Lansbury. I’ve got one from Gustavo Dudamel, so just a couple of super treasured and special shows and concerts that I’ve gotten to work on. It’s just a reminder of the really amazing things that we get to do and get to create in our industry.”
For all his love of the arts, there is one kind of creativity Justin wishes came more naturally.
“I cannot draw or paint for anything, so anyone who is able to create with their hands, I love,” he says. “Someone who can take a blank piece of paper and create a masterpiece, or a big block of wood and create some amazing object, or an actual useful item out of it, is so cool to me. I wish I had that artistic and creative ability, which unfortunately I do not.”
Then he laughs.
“But I can make a spreadsheet like no one else.”
He adds, “I love what we get to do because it’s that great crossover of connection and person-to-person interaction and making those memories but also taking that Excel spreadsheet skill set and data analytics and living at the intersection of data and information and person-to-person interaction.”
In many ways, that intersection has defined Justin Foo’s career. As a young man leaving New Mexico for Louisiana State University, he dreamed of living his life surrounded by music. He found his way there, although not quite as he originally imagined. And, in the end, bringing joy to others is what gives him the greatest meaning in life.
“Going to concerts and live events, those are probably some of my most treasured memories. In my professional life, I love that I get to help create those memories for other people. And I love doing that for my friends and family, too. Even just little surprises and delights in any aspect of life are fun to create for anyone I care about.”
You May Also Like
Want news like this delivered to your inbox weekly? Subscribe to the Access Weekly newsletter, your ticket to industry excellence.