Executive Director

The Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with the Eugene Symphony Association in the search for an Executive Director.

Reporting to to the Board of Directors of the Eugene Symphony Association, the Executive Director will ensure a prosperous future for the Eugene Symphony through the planning, supervision, coordination, execution, and analysis of all Eugene Symphony Association activities. The Executive Director will serve as the Association's chief operating officer, acting as a trusted advisor to the Board of Directors on all matters of policy and courses of action that will enhance the organization's position in the community.

Now in its 58th season, the Eugene Symphony is recognized as a cornerstone of the performing arts in Oregon’s southern Willamette Valley. Under the leadership of Music Director and Conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong, the Eugene Symphony pursues its missions of enriching lives through the power of music by presenting annual classical, popular specials, family concerts, and community engagement performances; regularly commissioning and premiering new American works; and disseminating its performances via radio broadcasts and electronic media. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Eugene Symphony continued to serve its mission through reimagined concert experiences and programs.

The Eugene Symphony is committed to serving, educating, and developing the widest possible regional audience through its programs. Each season, both in the concert hall and beyond in classrooms and the community, the Eugene Symphony brings world-class artistry and memorable musical moments to more than 40,000 people throughout a five-county region in southwestern Oregon. Founded in 1965 as a community orchestra, Eugene Symphony’s early years included performances in living rooms, schools, and churches. The orchestra took up residence in Eugene’s Hult Center for the Performing Arts in 1982 and has since performed with the likes of violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, soprano Renee Fleming, Portland’s treasured Pink Martini, and most recently, Broadway superstar Leslie Odom, Jr. No matter the program, the Eugene Symphony invites people of all ages and backgrounds together for the irreplaceable experience of live orchestral music.

The Eugene Symphony offers more than a dozen music education and community education programs that serve every age group, from youngsters who are just picking up an instrument for the first time to promising middle- and high-school students, as well as college students and adults in their 90s.

ESA’s mission of enriching lives through the power of music is informed by its vision that music be a part of life for everyone, by its values of passion, optimism, inclusion, service, and excellence, and by its strategic themes of community engagement, artistic excellence, and growth, and ensuring a diverse, inclusive, and financially healthy organization with capacity for ongoing growth.

The Eugene Symphony operates under a collective bargaining agreement which carries through the 2023/24 season and supports the Eugene Symphony Chorus. The Eugene Symphony Association is governed by a 33-member Board of Directors. There is an administrative staff of 13 including full-time and part-time employees. The Eugene Symphony Association is supported by the Eugene Symphony Foundation currently valued at $7.8 million in assets and managed by a separate board. The Eugene Symphony has an operating budget of $3.2 million for 2022/23 and has a history of financial stability with a trend toward growth.

The Eugene Symphony Association is committed to advancing the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and racial justice. It believes that all people regardless of background or circumstance deserve equal respect as human beings. Music has the power to illuminate history, express emotions, and build a better future for all through shared recognition of the past and present. By expanding its artistic vision and the breadth of its service with diverse perspectives, the vibrancy and sustainability of the Eugene Symphony is enhanced, resulting in a stronger and more just community.

The Eugene Symphony Association will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. A bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least seven years of leadership experience, preferably in an orchestra or performing arts organization, is preferred. All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and resume. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of the Eugene Symphony Association as well as the responsibilities and qualifications stated in the position prospectus.

The salary range for this position is $140,000 to $170,000 annually.

To apply for this position, visit: https://opportunities.aspenleadershipgroup.com/opportunities/1288.