The Dallas Symphony Orchestra announced today that Jonathan Martin has been named its new president and CEO. Martin comes to the DSO from the Charlotte Symphony, where he served following stints with the Cleveland Orchestra, Spokane Symphony and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Martin will begin work at the DSO in September, when he will replace interim CEO David Hyslop, who will stay on in an advisory capacity. The CEO position has been open since April 2011, when Bill Lively resigned after three months on the job. Lively took as job as is now the vice chancellor of strategic partnerships for University of North Texas, which he left in April for the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C..
“I am thrilled and honored to be joining the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and making our new home in Dallas,” Martin said in a statement. “I believe strongly in this orchestra, and I join its musicians, staff, volunteers, generous patrons and passionate supporters at a time of unparalleled excitement and opportunity. I am particularly excited to begin working with Maestro van Zweden, Blaine Nelson, and the Board of Governors as well as everyone involved with the DSO to continue the organization’s transformation into a model for the 21st century.”
- A Charlotte TV interview with Martin in April.
Keep reading for the news release from the DSO:
Dallas, TX (July 23, 2012) – The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) announces the appointment of Jonathan Martin as its President and CEO.
Mr. Martin, a seasoned orchestra executive with two decades of leadership experience, arrives at the DSO from the Charlotte Symphony. Martin previously served nine years as General Manager of the Cleveland Orchestra, recognized as one of the world’s most esteemed symphonic ensembles, and was Executive Director of the Spokane Symphony from 1995 until 1999. He began his career at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
In his four years with the Charlotte Symphony, Martin is credited with initiating a transformational organizational turnaround, creating new programs and increased community engagement activities, and launching a $40 million comprehensive recapitalization initiative.
“Jonathan brings extraordinary experience, a pleasant personality and an inspirational vision to the position of President and CEO of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra,” says Blaine L. Nelson, Chairman of the DSO Board of Governors. “He is the ideal individual to lead the DSO and Dallas Symphony Association as we build on our commitment of continuing the artistic achievements attained by Music Director Jaap van Zweden. Jonathan will be instrumental in securing for the DSO its long-term stability and sustainability.”
“I am thrilled and honored to be joining the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and making our new home in Dallas,” Martin says. “I believe strongly in this orchestra, and I join its musicians, staff, volunteers, generous patrons and passionate supporters at a time of unparalleled excitement and opportunity. I am particularly excited to begin working with Maestro van Zweden, Blaine Nelson, and the Board of Governors as well as everyone involved with the DSO to continue the organization’s transformation into a model for the 21st century.”
Martin will begin his duties as DSO President and CEO in early September, 2012, with an initial employment contract of five years. David Hyslop, who has served as DSO Interim President and CEO since May, 2011, will stay on in an advisory capacity as needed to ensure a smooth transition.
Nelson commended Hyslop by saying, “We are profoundly grateful to David, one of the deans of the orchestra field and whose leadership over the past year has been crucial in helping us attain greater stability throughout this transition.”
Martin was the unanimous selection of the DSO Executive Board and of its Search Committee, chaired by executive board member Cece Smith, who over the search process interviewed a number of potential candidates, each with exceptional industry pedigrees.
“Jonathan was the clear choice for this position”, Nelson says. “He is a great fit for the Dallas community, soft-spoken and thoughtful, and possessing a strong set of guiding principles for the creation of the new American orchestra model that has been honed through 33 years of experience in the field.
“The DSO has had virtually all the assets needed to achieve its vision: a blazingly talented, internationally celebrated artistic leader in Maestro van Zweden; a fabulous concert hall in which he can burnish an already great ensemble; a greatly improved short-term financial position; and a vibrant, growing city with both a demonstrated love of the arts and an enviable depth of resources. In securing Jonathan for the CEO position for the next five years, the Board of Governors has acted to complete the inventory of tools required for the DSO to fulfill the vision of long-term sustainability: by executing at a level of operational excellence that matches its artistic achievements.”
About Jonathan Martin
Jonathan Martin’s most recent position was with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in Charlotte, NC, where he served as its President and Executive Director since May 2008. Prior to that, Martin served for nine years as the General Manager of the Cleveland Orchestra, where he successfully managed 22 domestic and international tours and residencies and helped develop and launch its groundbreaking ten-year residency program in Miami, Florida. Before beginning his tenure at the Cleveland Orchestra, Martin served as Executive Director of the Spokane Symphony from 1995 until 1999.
A native of Atlanta, Martin holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Georgia State University, and began his career at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, where he served in five different positions over 14 years. He has served as Chair of the League of American Orchestras’ Executive Directors for Group II orchestras.
He and his wife Amy have a grown daughter, Emily.
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