Rising Stars in...Communications/Public Affairs

Melissa A .E. Sanders
Senior Director of Communications, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Melissa Sanders has been overseeing publicity, media relations, and communications for the Atlanta Symphony since 2008. A native of Cincinnati, she is a musician by background, focussing on flute. (She also played baritone horn in her high school marching band!) As she headed to college, she was torn between music and what she calls her “other love”—writing. “I thought there must be a way to do both,” she says. She decided to go with writing,  specializing in PR at journalism school.

After college, an internship at Columbus’s BalletMet opened up and she grabbed it (“a light bulb went off: Of course! It made perfect sense”). In 1996, she took the job as marketing/PR assistant for Opera/Columbus; a year later, she started with the New York Philharmonic as public relations associate. Over the ensuing 11 years she worked her way up to the job of assistant director of public relations, implementing campaigns to publicize subscription series, radio broadcasts, and Concerts in the Parks, among numerous other aspects of orchestral life.

Sanders was ready for a change when she accepted the job in Atlanta. “I was really drawn by how innovative the (ASO) is. Working with Robert Spano was a big draw—he is one of the most creative and innovative music directors in our industry. I was well aware of the Robert Shaw legacy and the renowned ASO Chorus, and I was moved by the impact the organization is making through its education programs, like the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Talent Development Program.”

Success in public relations is a moving target, says Sanders, “a changing mediascape,” requiring ever more creative ways to think outside the box. “The violinist who is a skier; the conductor who is a chef; the journey of a student at his first music camp—these are the stories [we tell] that reflect how music shapes people’s lives.”

Most Atlanta audiences still prefer traditional media, says Sanders. “Our web site is the primary hub for information but social outlets are growing daily; we are active on platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, and Instagram. We strive to balance our messages across the many mediums available to us.”

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