THOMAS PHILION, president and executive director of the Seattle Symphony, has announced that he will not renew his contract with the orchestra, which expires June 30, 2010. “The Symphony is entering a new era,” he said in a statement issued Wednesday. “The search for the Orchestra’s first new music director in 26 years is successfully underway and there is remarkable new board leadership which will sustain the quality of the organization. Having navigated through the challenges of the last three seasons, I feel it is the right time for a change.” Philion’s tenure with the Seattle Symphony began in April 2007. He has managed two years of balanced operating budgets, boosted fund raising through a series of successful challenge gift campaigns, and been instrumental in the attainment of several box office sales records and programming initiatives. Board Chair Leslie Chihuly noted that Philion “leaves the organization with a strong staff, well-positioned for the future.” Before coming to Seattle Philion spent eight years as president and CEO of North Carolina’s Eastern Music Festival. Previously he served in senior management posts with The Cleveland Orchestra and the National, Hartford, and Vermont symphonies.
Posted December 17, 2009
