Executive Director

Position Opportunity

Executive Director

Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra

Orlando, Florida

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra invites applications and nominations for the position of Executive Director, available in the Fall of 2023.

The Orchestra

www.orlandophil.org

Now in its 31st Season, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra (OPO) has the mission to provide excellence and innovation in orchestral music performance and education that serves and engages the community. The Philharmonic annually presents the 10-concert Classics Series and Pops Series in Steinmetz Hall, as well as its Focus Series and Symphony Storytime Series at The Plaza Live. The OPO’s Resonate Festival also continues in its third year, providing four nights of exciting musical experiences with Artistic-In-Residence, Aaron Diehl, and his jazz trio. With a broad offering of classical symphonic and pops concerts, educational programs, free outdoor concerts, and special events, the OPO presents more than 170 live performances and reaches more than 75,000 young people and families annually.

In the 2023-2024 Season, The OPO’s inspiring music celebrates the diversity of Orlando, which is cultivated to reflect with programming and artists who will bring it to exuberant life, strengthening and enriching the musical bonds that unite the community. The 2023-2024 Classics Season, will feature internationally acclaimed Pianists Emanuel Ax and Alexandra Dariescu, Violinist Bella Hristova, rising star Cellist Sterling Elliott, Vocalists Jamie Barton and Sarah Shafer, and the brilliant Concertmaster Rimma Bergeron-Langlois. All join Eric Jacobsen, who in his eighth season continues to lead the orchestra to new heights as its Music Director, and the Orlando Philharmonic’s fabulous orchestra.

Six concerts this season feature women on the podium: Mei-Ann Chen, Chloé van Soeterstède, Chelsea Gallo, and Georgia Mills, and exciting works by women composers Dai Wei, Katarina Leyman, and former Composer-in-Residence Anna Clyne. Guests will also enjoy a new piano concerto by James Lee III, frequent collaborator with the OPO and Music Director Eric Jacobsen, in addition to the grandest masterpieces in the repertoire, like Pictures at an Exhibition, The Rite of Spring, Brahms’s Third Symphony, and Mahler’s deeply moving “Resurrection” Symphony.

The OPO is a resident company of the Dr. Phillips Center (DPC) for the Performing Arts, which opened in 2014 in downtown Orlando. Steinmetz Hall, located within DPC, is one of the world’s most acoustically perfect spaces and has become the designated acoustic multiform theatre designated for the Orlando Philharmonic and fellow resident company, the Orlando Ballet. The OPO also owns and operates The Plaza Live Orlando, one of Orlando's oldest and leading venues. Originally, a cinema, The Plaza Live has been transformed to a theatre space for local pop shows and events as well as larger, national acts. As of June 1, 2023, The Plaza Live is undergoing construction to bring significant enhancements to the venue, improving the overall experience for its patrons and performers alike.

The Orlando Philharmonic is governed by a 35-member Board of Directors, nine of whom are musician members of the orchestra. Additional support is provided by the Friends of the Orlando Philharmonic. The annual operating budget is $5 million and the Orchestra has a $5 million endowment. The OPO has an administrative staff of 25. The Interim Executive Director is to be determined.

The City

The diverse and dynamic Orlando metropolitan area consists of four counties comprising more than 2.5 million people. With many tax incentives and no state income tax, the Orlando business environment attracts many burgeoning high-tech industries. The area is headquarters to Advent Health, American Automobile Association (AAA), Darden Restaurants, Marriott Vacations, and Tupperware Brands.

Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, a major research center and one of the nation's largest universities, regularly cited for innovation, quality, access, and value.

Orlando hosts more than 70 million travelers annually, many of whom are visitors to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. The city has three major professional sports teams in the Orlando Magic (NBA), Orlando City Soccer (MLS), and Orlando Pride (NWSL).

In addition to the Orlando Philharmonic, the city's vibrant arts community includes professional ballet and opera companies, theatres, and major museums.

The Position

The Executive Director is the chief executive officer of the Orlando Philharmonic and reports to the Board of Directors through the Board President. In partnership with the Board of Directors and the executive management team, the ED provides vision, leadership, strategic direction, and management to enable the OPO to fulfill its mission and achieve its goals for programmatic excellence, community engagement, and financial success.

The Executive Director manages the human and financial resources of the OPO. The ED is responsible for all aspects of the OPO's administration and operations, including: strategic planning; fundraising and patron development; budgeting and financial management; marketing and audience development; artistic administration; concert production; collective bargaining negotiations; educational activities; facilities; and community engagement.

With the President, the Executive Director provides impetus and support to the work of the Board and its committees. The ED takes a leadership role in fundraising, including donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. The ED guides, motivates, and supervises the OPO staff, while providing guidance and support to those who serve the OPO as volunteers.

The Executive Director works in close partnership with the Music Director to achieve the OPO's artistic goals. S/he fosters an environment that allows conductors, orchestra musicians, and guest artists to do their best work. Through creative programming and marketing initiatives, s/he builds audience size, diversity, and demand. S/he develops community partnerships and maintains positive working relationships between the OPO and its venues. The ED is the visible representative, spokesperson, and advocate for the OPO in Orlando and throughout the Central Florida community.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be an experienced executive with at least five years' progressive leadership experience in orchestra or performing arts management. S/he will combine a passion for music with a highly developed knowledge of symphony orchestras, artistic administration, and orchestra operations.

The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker with the ability to inspire and align OPO stakeholders around an exciting vision for the OPO's growth and development. S/he will have the demonstrated ability to develop and execute a strategic plan, and to set, achieve, and exceed goals for earned and contributed income, audience development, and program excellence.

The successful candidate will be willing to devote a substantial amount of time and energy to fundraising across all community groups. S/he will have the ability foster and maintain relationships with individual and institutional donors. S/he will have a track record of success with major gift fundraising and experience with endowment campaigns.

The successful candidate will have the demonstrated ability to work effectively with creative artists to achieve artistic goals. S/he will have the ability to negotiate and work effectively and collaboratively with professional musicians and stage personnel in a collective bargaining environment. Experience managing a performing arts venue and/or relationships with various concert venues will be considered an asset.

The successful candidate will be flexible, creative, curious, and persistent. S/he will be a superb listener with the willingness to consider options and the ability to make decisions. S/he will be able to manage multiple agendas and competing priorities with skill and good humor. S/he will be a person of integrity and high ethical standards with a strong commitment to transparency. The successful candidate will be able to speak and write persuasively about the OPO. S/he will welcome the opportunity to become an active part of the greater Orlando community.

Compensation

Compensation, including benefits, is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Applications

The Orlando Philharmonic is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all facets of the organization, and seeks to develop a diverse candidate pool.

Please send a cover letter outlining your specific interest and qualifications for this position. Include a resume, salary requirements, and contact information for at least three references. Electronic submissions are preferred. All applications will be treated as confidential and references will not be called without the candidate's knowledge and agreement.

The position will remain open until filled. The Search Committee will begin to review credentials in August.

Please send materials to:

Orlando Philharmonic - Executive Director

c/o Executive Director Search Committee

425 N Bumby Ave.

Orlando, FL 32803

employment@orlandophil.org

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