Wolf’s career spans over five decades. After making his debut as flute soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of sixteen, he spent fourteen seasons as flutist and company manager of his Uncle Boris Goldovsky’s touring opera company and subsequently performed chamber music concerts with leading musicians in the United States and Canada. As Artistic Director of Bay Chamber Concerts, he produced over 1,000 concerts and participated in the creation of a community music school.
Wolf is the author of numerous books including two memoirs (The Nightingale’s Sonata and Musical Gifts), a textbook (Managing a Nonprofit Organization), a book on effective leadership, and another on fund raising. Among his many articles is a study of the psychology of musical sight-reading. Wolf’s popular classes and seminars at Harvard University and throughout the country have been supplemented more recently by on-line courses reaching tens of thousands of students in over 100 countries.
In addition to his work for the consulting firm WolfBrown, advising and assisting some of the world’s leading cultural organizations, Wolf has consulted directly with leaders of major cities including Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Dallas on the creation of vibrant cultural communities. With his wife Dr. Dennie Palmer Wolf, a psychologist and arts educator, he has become a champion for enhancing opportunities for young people and increasing diversity in the arts.
