In a decision announced by the Utah Symphony-Utah Opera on June 24th, Steven Brosvik, chief operations officer at the Nashville Symphony, has been named President and CEO of Utah’s flagship music organizations.

Brosvik has held the position of COO at Nashville for 15 years and will assume his new role on August 17th. Since September 2019, USUO has been lead by interim president and CEO Patricia A. Richards.

Brosvik will take the reins during a time like no other in recent history as the Covid-19 pandemic has shuttered concert halls and opera houses across the world. Like many of his colleagues in the industry’s C-suites, Brosvik has much work in front of him.

The USUO’s spring season was canceled, as was the Deer Valley Music Festival. The joint organization furloughed its contingent of 85 musicians, and most of its administrative staff this past March as a result. More change is afoot at USUO as current music director Theirry Fischer vacates his post when his contract expires in August 2022. Brosvik will play an important role in the selection of the conductor’s successor.

Christopher McBeth, artistic director of Utah Opera, in a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune, said Brosvik “inspires in me a high level of confidence during these challenging times for the performing arts and the world.”

The Utah Symphony intends to begin its 2020-21 season in mid-September while the opera plans to open the house in October with a production of Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman.”

USUO’s new leader comes with an impressive resume, having served in executive positions at leading symphonies within the United States for over 20 years. Prior to becoming COO of Nashville Symphony, Brosvik held the position of general manager of the Houston Symphony for 10 years and worked as executive director of the San Antonio Symphony and general manager of the Baltimore Symphony.

A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Brosvik studied piano performance and Delacroze pedagogy with Robert Abramson in New York and holds a degree in Music Business from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Besides his extensive experience running music organizations, Brosvik spent 10 years working in customer service and operations for Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis and New York.