The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has named Mark C. Hanson president and chief executive officer, succeeding Peter Kjome. Hanson stepped down in August 2021 as the CEO of the San Francisco Symphony, which he had joined in 2017. He started at the Baltimore Symphony in April. The orchestra is currently searching for a music director to replace Marin Alsop; at the San Francisco Symphony, Hanson oversaw the process that led to the hiring of Esa-Pekka Salonen as music director. His accomplishments in San Francisco include restoring the organization to consecutive years of balanced budgets; negotiating a four-year contract with musicians; leading a comprehensive rebranding and the launch of a streaming service; and developing a cross-constituency Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workgroup. Hanson previously held leadership positions at the Rockford (Illinois) Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and Houston Symphony. Hanson, who trained as a cellist, studied at the Eastman School of Music and graduated from Harvard University, with further education at the Interaction Institute for Social Change and Harvard Business School. He is a recipient of the League of American Orchestras’ Helen M. Thomson Award for Exceptional Leadership.
Caption: Mark Hanson. Photo by Stephanie Pool.
