In Wednesday’s (7/18) Sydney Morning Herald, Robin Usher reports, “The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has appointed another executive from an American orchestra as its managing director to succeed Matthew VanBesien, who has taken up the plum role as chief executive at the New York Philharmonic. Andre Gremillet, a Canadian, has been CEO of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra since 2007 and, like VanBesien, has a great fund-raising record. … The NJSO has improved its finances under his direction despite the US’s weak economic conditions. … A fund-raising campaign raised $35.5 million, $3 million more than its target. A $2 million deficit has been cut to $600,000, despite the loss of $1.1 million in state funding. … He says there are three things that interested him about moving to Melbourne—the orchestra’s reputation, the appointment of renowned conductor Sir Andrew Davis as chief conductor and the attributes of the city itself. … He appreciates the MSO’s secure federal funding but he is still keen to continue developing corporate and philanthropic support to build on VanBesien’s legacy. ‘The orchestra is representative of its community and has to be relevant to the population at large,’ he says.”
Posted July 17, 2012
