(Photo credit: Melissa Taylor)

The Houston Symphony has announced the appointment of 25-year veteran orchestra leader Gary Ginstling to the position of Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer.

Beginning his new post on Feb. 3, 2025, Ginstling will hold the Margaret Alkek Williams Chair. Ginstling succeeds John Mangum, who stepped down from this role at the end of Sept. 2024 to lead the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Elizabeth S. Condic, who has served as interim executive director of the Houston Symphony since September 2024, will return to her role as CFO and will be an essential part of Ginstling’s leadership team.

At Houston Symphony, Ginstling will be in charge of the organization’s 130 annual concerts, extensive community engagement programs that reach over 160,000 people, and education initiatives. He will oversee an annual operating budget of $40.7 million and direct the efforts of 74 administrative staff members and 90 full-time professional musicians. He will also work with The Foundation for Jones Hall to complete the $60 million multi-year renovation project of the Symphony’s home, Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts.

Ginstling has held several leadership roles at major American orchestras. Most recently, he spent two years at the New York Philharmonic, serving in the roles of executive director and, until July 2024, as president and CEO. He has also worked with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Berkeley Symphony. He currently serves on the Board of the League of American Orchestras, the Advisory Council of the Tianjin Juilliard School, and on the Board of Directors of the Meadowmount School of Music.

Juraj Valčuha, the company’s Music Director said in a press release, “I am thrilled to welcome Gary Ginstling as the Houston Symphony’s new Executive Director and CEO. His visionary leadership and deep passion for orchestral music make him the perfect partner as we shape the future of this extraordinary institution. I look forward to working together to inspire our audiences, champion artistic excellence, and deepen our connection to the Houston community.”

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