Russell Jones, left, will be succeeded as president and CEO of the Stamford, Connecticut-based Orchestra Lumos by Walker Beard, right, on January 1, 2026. Photo by Aviva Maller.
In Friday’s (11/20) Connecticut Insider, John Breunig writes, “Russell Jones reasons that after serving for eight years as president and CEO of Orchestra Lumos, ‘the orchestra deserves fresh legs on the field.’ It’s not often you hear a scrum of classical musicians compared to a rugby roster. But then, Jones has had to tackle appointing a new music director (Greenwich resident Michael Stern, a collaboration he clearly cherishes), rebrand the former Stamford Symphony, explore new stages throughout Connecticut and—oh yes—captain the squad through a pandemic. He’ll stick around as a consultant after he is succeeded Jan. 1 by Walker Beard, currently director of operations at The Dallas Opera…. Jones’ origin story hearing a live orchestra took place in a cinema. He was 10 and spotted a poster at his local library promoting a live performance by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra…. Fifty-five years on, it was an experience he has since aspired to share with the world, to ‘let as many people as possible know that well-kept secret about how incredible an orchestra is.’… Jones sings and plays violin, something he looks forward to retrieving from its case in coming months … But his superpower is evangelizing about the sublime pleasures of a live symphony.”
