“A Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra executive with a strong fundraising background has been chosen as the new executive director of Allentown’s Miller Symphony Hall,” writes John Moser in Tuesday’s (8/21) Morning Call (Allentown, PA). “Al Jacobsen will assume the job in October…. He has been with the Pittsburgh Symphony for eight years, including the past four as director of corporate support.… Jacobsen … said his first priorities at Symphony Hall will be to make sure it is run the best it can be … and then … ‘relationship building [said Jacobsen]. ‘An orchestra, especially Allentown Symphony, is a not-for-profit organization, which by its definition means it’s owned by the community. Our staff and board must work to keep bettering our relationships with members of the community.’ … Jacobsen [has] a background in a symphony that, like Allentown, owned its own hall…. In Pittsburgh, Jacobsen was responsible for all corporate fundraising … for the orchestra and its historic Heinz Hall … Before Pittsburgh, Jacobsen was manager of operations for Westchester Philharmonic in White Plains, N.Y…. … Jacobsen has a music background: He is an amateur French horn player who has held roster positions at community orchestras in New York and Pennsylvania.”
Posted August 22, 2018
