The National Symphony Orchestra has appointed Jean Davidson as its new Executive Director.
Davidson will begin her tenure with the National Symphony Orchestra on April 1, succeeding Gary Ginstling, who left in October to become the executive director of the New York Philharmonic.
Davidson, 54, is president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the largest professional chorus in the country.
In a statement, Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter said, “Jean’s leadership is unmatched in many ways. As an executive, she has thrived in finding order in complexity and finding opportunities in obstacles.”
Davidson has a long history in nonprofit music organizations, starting in 2001 when she served as Yo-Yo Ma’s tour lighting designer. She later became the chief executive of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. During her seven-year tenure with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Davidson led an institutional rebrand and doubled the chorale’s budget to $8 million.