The Honolulu Symphony is afloat for another year, but backers say its future relies on a balanced budget, a new business plan and an executive director who can hold it all together.

Now the executive director has been named: Majken Mechling, who leaves her position as executive director of the American Diabetes Association to join the struggling organization.

On Sept. 3, as the symphony announced that it would cover operating expenses with a $1.8 million bailout from the Honolulu Symphony Foundation, Honolulu Symphony Society chairman Peter Shaindlin set high standards in his description of the then-unnamed leader: incredible, energetic, passionate about the arts and respectful of the community.

Why would anyone with those qualifications want to take on a symphony facing financial woes so severe its musicians and staff went unpaid for months?

That's a question Mechling's been answering often since agreeing to leave a rewarding, stable job with the American Diabetes Association to take on the symphony challenge, starting Oct. 1.

"My curiosity was really piqued about this job, because I know over the years the symphony has struggled and struggled to stay afloat," despite the "tremendous" talent of its musicians, conductors and staff, Mechling said.

Her career path shows why the symphony job would appeal to her. Taking on nonprofits in turbulent times and guiding troubled institutions to success is her forte.

She says the symphony, now 110 years old, is worth the effort.

"We all need music in our lives," she said during an interview in her future office in Dole Cannery.

She hasn't officially started, but Mechling has considered how to reach out to those who aren't sure they'd appreciate classical music or who think that the symphony caters to an exclusive group. The symphony could be heading outdoors more often, playing in parks on the Leeward Coast and North Shore, or going into schools and hospitals to engage new audiences.

For instance, on Oct. 3 and 4, the symphony offers something family-friendly with pop appeal: "The Story of Babar," with music from Debussy, Poulenc and Tchaikovsky and narration by actor Michael Emerson of ABC's "Lost."

On the Honolulu Symphony Pops side, even the kids might be excited about the "40th Anniversary of the Beatles' 'Abbey Road' " concerts in November after having a couple months of playing Beatles songs on the latest Rock Band video game release.

Mechling's message will be that the symphony offers something for everyone. Her job is to make sure that message reaches the right ears. "There's this unbelievable shining stone out there that we need to bring back out, so people can see the symphony," she said.