“The sounds coming out of the Kansas City Symphony offices Thursday can be described by the Italian musical term mesto,” writes Brian Kaberline in Thursday’s Kansas City Business Journal. “The reason for sad music comes as longtime Executive Director Frank Byrne announced that he will retire. Byrne, who has led the symphony for nearly 19 years—and through a huge buildup as an organization—will step down at the end of the 2018-19 season. In an email follow-up to the official announcement, Byrne said he is not leaving for another job and has no immediate plans. Byrne joined the Kansas City Symphony in November 2000 as general manager. He became executive director in 2002. The symphony’s annual budget has grown under Byrne’s leadership from $8 million for its 2001 fiscal year to nearly $19 million for the 2019 fiscal year. Symphony officials will conduct a national search for a successor.” Before joining the Kansas City Symphony, Byrne spent 27 years in Washington, D.C., with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, where he combined managerial ability with musical experience as a performer, writer, lecturer, and active member of music associations.
Posted May 25, 2018
