Tag: Governance

New Board Chair at Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: Angela L. Evans

Posted on October 9, 2025 by - Who's In

Angela L. Evans has been elected to serve as chair of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Board of Directors. She succeeds Patrick Viguerie, who will now hold the role of immediate past chair. Evans previously served as the secretary of the Board of Directors for three years and has been a member since 2018. Evans is a partner at EY, a global tax services firm, and has more than 35 years of experience in the consumer products and transportation services industries. Her primary areas of focus are corporate taxation and accounting for income taxes. She currently serves as the Americas director of tax accounting and risk advisory services for EY and as senior advisory partner on a number of Fortune 10 companies in the retail/consumer products industry. Evans also sits on the board of the Pacific Tax Policy Institute, an organization “devoted to bringing international tax policy and management issues to the forefront of corporate tax leaders and tax professionals.”  She is a frequent speaker within EY, EY’s Center for Board Matters, and other professional organization technical sessions.

Eastern Music Festival Ceases Operations After 64 Years

Posted on October 7, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Monday’s (10/6) WXII 12 (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), Christian Petersen reports, “After 64 years, the Eastern Music Festival is disbanding. The organization focuses on educating young musicians and hosts a five-week music festival each year at Guilford College [in Greensboro, North Carolina]. The organization’s board of directors says a labor disagreement with faculty musicians forced them to dissolve the nonprofit that educated more than 10,000 musicians in its storied history. The Eastern Music Festival is a nationally recognized summer educational music program for young, gifted musicians. It was a place for faculty and students from all over the world to learn and strengthen their skills during the five-week course at Guilford College. In 2023, the faculty voted to unionize, and since that time, the festival has been in negotiations with the American Federation of Musicians. Chris Williams, the executive director of the festival, says the two sides had different visions about the future of the program. Rather than continue to negotiate, the board voted to disband the nonprofit…. [The television station] reached out to the American Federation of Musicians for a comment but [has] not heard back.” In February, the organization announced the cancellation of the 2025 festival when management and faculty, represented by AFM, were unable to agree on contract terms.

Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony on the Rise with “Resurrection” Season, Two Years After Bankruptcy

Posted on September 30, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Sunday’s (9/28) CBC (Canada), Chloe Kim writes that the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony “filed for bankruptcy in 2023 and abruptly cancelled its season just four days before it was set to begin … Now, two years later, with the bankruptcy filing behind it, the orchestra has launched a new season, organized by the players themselves and a new board of directors. On the road to their return, the musicians took on side jobs, staged free community concerts and fought to bring the symphony back … The K-W Symphony has announced a new season with a fitting theme called ‘Resurrection.’… Violinist Allene Chomyn has been with the orchestra since 2007 and remembers when seasons lasted 38 weeks, with close to 90 performances each season. This time around, there will be 19 performances … When the bankruptcy was announced in September 2023, the entire board also resigned. With no leadership in place, the musicians took matters into their own hands…. Their efforts drew support far beyond Kitchener and Waterloo…. Their proposal to creditors … [resulted] in the annulment of the bankruptcy…. The K-W Symphony’s 2025-2026 season opened on Sept. 13 with Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, conducted by Andrei Feher, marking the first full season since bankruptcy ended.”

Board and Administrative Appointments at Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Posted on September 12, 2025 by - Who's In

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) has announced several administrative and board appointments. Charla Weiss has been named Board Chair, Gregory Lee has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, and Hannah Ross has joined the CSO as Director of Learning. In addition, Nick Apanius, Emma Compton, Dean A. Moulas, and Brett Stover have joined the Board of Directors. Robert McGrath is the orchestra’s president and CEO.

Charla Weiss has served as executive director for several human services organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, including a federally funded agency that supports homeless children and families. She has worked as a consultant domestically and internationally and has taught at universities and medical colleges. Most recently, Weiss retired from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she championed health equity and disparities initiatives aligned with the hospital’s mission. Weiss holds a Ph.D. in psychology and education from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, a master’s degree in administration from Indiana University, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology and music from Olivet College.

Gregory Lee most recently served as Chief Financial Officer for Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona, where he led institution-wide financial strategy and operations. Previously, he spent nearly two decades with the Arizona Cardinals Football Club, where he helped launch new business initiatives. Earlier in his career, Lee was a senior manager at Deloitte, leading audit and advisory engagements. A graduate of Indiana University, he was named Compete Sports Diversity’s Person of the Year and an LGBTQ+ Community Ally and Game Changer by the NGFFL. At the CSO, Lee will oversee financial operations for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Music and Event Management, Inc., EVT Management, LLC, the May Festival, and 12 nonprofit arts organizations.

Hannah Ross goes to the Cincinnati Symphony from the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School, where she was Assistant Director for Community Engagement. Her work included directing the Community Engagement department, supervising a free after-school strings program, and overseeing the production of Link Up, a music curriculum and concert series designed by Carnegie Hall. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in viola performance from the Juilliard School, where she developed and co-directed a performing arts initiative to Arusha, Tanzania. She is a member of Cohort 6 of Sphinx Leaders in Excellence, Arts, and Diversity; a member of Cohort 3 of the RI Black Business Association’s Emerging Leaders Development Program, and a graduate of the RI Foundation’s Equity Leadership Initiative.

Obituary: Benjamin Lester Abberger III, Board Member of League of American Orchestras, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra

Posted on August 27, 2025 by - News Briefs

On Wednesday (8/20), the Tallahassee Democrat (Florida) published the following obituary: “Benjamin Lester Abberger III, a fourth-generation Floridian who devoted his life to making his state a better place, died on August 15, 2025…. He was born … on November 22, 1952, in Orlando. He attended Davidson College in North Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. Lester also completed the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government … He worked as a Cabinet aide to Florida Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner Bill Gunter. He then worked in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Urban Mass Transportation Administration … and served in various government relations roles for the Florida Hospital Cost Containment Board, the Florida Hospital Association, and Florida Water Services. He went on to form … B.L. Abberger and Co., a public affairs and investment banking concern…. Nationally, he served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Federation of State Humanities Councils, served on the League of American Orchestras’ Board [2016-2020], and on the Board of Visitors at Davidson College… Lester served on the Boards of Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, and the Tallahassee Neighborhood Medical Center…. He is survived by his wife Amanda Leigh Stringer [CEO of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra] and stepchildren Elizabeth Shipp Sauer and Benjamin Storms Sauer.”

New Members Join League of American Orchestras Board of Directors

Posted on August 13, 2025 by - News Briefs

Rei Hotoda, Blake-Anthony Johnson, Barbara McCelvey, Pamela Mayo, Jessica Phillips, Elizabeth Shribman, and Dr. Regynald G. Washington have joined the League of American Orchestras Board of Directors; each will serve a three-year term. Board officers for 2025-26 are Alan Mason, Chair; Marissa Eisemann, Aaron A. Flagg, and Kjristine Lund, Co-Vice Chairs; William L. Gettys, Secretary, and Chris Doerr, Treasurer.

In addition, Ex-Officio Directors for 2025-26 have been announced. They are: Martha A. Gilmer, President and CEO, San Diego Symphony Orchestra—San Diego, CA; Jennifer Boomgaarden Daoud, President/CEO, Omaha Symphony Orchestra—Omaha, NE; Anwar Nasir, Executive Director, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra—New Orleans, LA; Paul Jarrett, Executive Director, Akron Symphony Orchestra—Akron, OH; Elizabeth “Libby” Watson, Executive Director, Adrian Symphony Orchestra—Adrian, MI; Lindsey Nova, Executive Director, Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras—Pittsburgh, PA; and Darlene Clark, Volunteer Council President, Houston Symphony League—Houston, TX.

Melanie Clarke and Mary Carr Patton have been elected to the Emeritus Board.

Read the complete news release here.

The only national organization dedicated to the orchestras and their communities, the League of American Orchestras includes nearly 25,000 musicians, conductors, orchestra staff, board members, volunteers, and business partners working with a membership of 2,000 world-renowned orchestras, community groups, summer festivals, student and youth ensembles, conservatories and libraries, businesses serving orchestras, and individuals who love symphonic music.

Annapolis Symphony’s New Board Chair: Katie Edwards

Posted on July 23, 2025 by - Who's In

Katie Edwards has been named chair of the board of trustees of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra in Maryland. She succeeds Shelley Row in the leadership role, which includes the orchestra as well as the Annapolis Symphony Academy. A graduate of Yale University and New York University, Edwards completed her pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is a partner at Annapolis Pediatrics, which operates offices in Anne Arundel County and on Kent Island. She is a 25-year subscriber to the ASO and has served on the boards of the ASO and the Key School. In her new role, she will help guide the ASO’s strategic priorities, including increasing single ticket sales, expanding corporate and individual philanthropy, and broadening access to performances in venues across the region, including Maryland Hall, the Music Center at Strathmore, Bowie State University, Severna Park High School, and outdoor parks. Erica Bondarev Rapach is the Annapolis Symphony’s executive director.

Obituary: Lee Marks, Longtime General Counsel for the League of American Orchestras, 89

Posted on July 14, 2025 by - News Briefs

On Thursday (7/10), LevineFuneral.com reported that Lee Marks, a lawyer who represented the League of American Orchestras as well as other clients, “died peacefully at home on July 8, 2025 … Lee Robert Marks was born in Queens, NY on October 22, 1935 … Lee received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Michigan and his law degree from Harvard Law School…. He spent four years in the State Department as a special assistant to the Legal Advisor …  He [joined] a boutique Washington DC law firm … where he spent the next several years working with clients as diverse as the Ford Foundation, the government of Israel, Stavros Niarchos, and the Kappel Commission on the USPS. At the beginning of the Carter administration, he went back to the State Department as the senior Deputy Legal Adviser … In 1981, Lee met Lisl Zach, whom he married in 1985. In 2007 Lisl was offered a faculty position with Drexel University, and the couple moved to Philadelphia…. In 1997, Lee joined a Miami-based firm as the founding and managing partner … Lee was an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Temple University Law School … Lee was active in the arts and served on the boards of directors of several performing arts organizations including the League of American Orchestras, whose general counsel he was from 1967 to 2010. He also served as counsel for the White Nights Foundation of America (supporting the Mariinsky Theatre), and as treasurer of the Washington National Opera. He was on the board of the Washington Bach Consort and the Washington Chorus.”

Springfield Symphony Orchestra and Musicians Reach Contract Agreement, with Wage Increases

Posted on June 24, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Friday’s (6/20) WWLP (Chicopee, Massachusetts), John Budenas writes, “The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Local 171 of the American Federation of Musicians announced Thursday that they have reached a new two-year collective bargaining agreement. Set to take effect for the 2025–26 and 2026–27 concert seasons, the agreement ensures a minimum of eight symphonic concerts and one educational concert each season…. The contract includes wage increases for musicians and expands representation by adding a second musician to the orchestra’s board of directors … Said SSO President and CEO Paul Lambert, ‘This agreement joins musicians, staff, and our board in the collective enterprise of putting together the best symphonic concert seasons over the next two years.’ The orchestra will maintain an average of 64 contracted musicians, consistent with the current agreement…. ‘The musicians’ negotiating committee feels that this is a very positive step,’ said Beth Welty, President of Local 171. ‘We look forward to continuing to work with Paul Lambert, the staff, and the Board toward the goal of expanding the orchestra’s outreach and service to all of Western Massachusetts.’… The SSO has diversified its offerings … [and] has also launched community-focused initiatives.” Mei-Ann Chen is the orchestra’s artistic advisor.

Idaho Falls Symphony Embarks on Search for Music Director to Follow Thomas Heuser

Posted on June 5, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (6/3) Post Register (Idaho Falls, Idaho), Jodie Schwicht writes, “The Idaho Falls Symphony has formed its own music director search committee, in efforts to find the organization’s next artistic leader. Current director Thomas Heuser announced in March that the 2025-2026 season would be his 15th and final season with the symphony—expressing gratitude for his time with the program and plans for future musical enterprises…. Headed by Committee Chair Jake Durtschi and guided by the League of American Orchestras’ best practices, the selection committee represents a thoughtful balance of musical, organizational, and community perspectives … Over the next two seasons, the committee will finalize candidate criteria, conduct a national search, and invite guest conductors to lead performances, with a final appointment expected to be made in May 2027…. Executive Director Carrie Athay added, ‘This search is not just about finding a conductor—it’s about identifying a visionary partner who will inspire our musicians, engage our audience, and strengthen our role in the cultural life of eastern Idaho….’ Feedback from audiences, musicians, and board members will play a significant role in the final selection process, and the Idaho Falls Symphony has encouraged the community to stay engaged with the process.”