Colorado Symphony Announces Mark Cantrell As New CEO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:??? 
Nick Dobreff, Communications and Creative Director??? 
616.485.3913 (m) - 303.308.2477 (o)??? 
ndobreff@coloradosymphony.org? 

COLORADO SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES MARK CANTRELL AS NEW CEO
Cantrell brings 13 years of orchestral leadership to Denver including the last four years
as President and CEO of The Florida Orchestra
 

Feb. 27, 2023 – Denver, CO – The Colorado Symphony is thrilled to welcome Mark Cantrell as the orchestra's next Chief Executive Officer, effective May 8, 2023. The appointment ushers in an exciting new era for the Colorado Symphony as the orchestra prepares to celebrate its Centennial during the 2023/24 Season. 

Cantrell, currently the President and CEO of The Florida Orchestra and formerly the CEO of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, succeeds Jerome H. Kern who retired as Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board on September 9, 2021. The Colorado Symphony’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Coreen Miller, has served as Interim CEO since Kern’s retirement. 
“It is an honor to have this opportunity to lead one of the premier orchestras in the country,” said Cantrell. “The Colorado Symphony has a reputation for artistic excellence and boundary pushing programming that has helped redefine what a symphony can be in the 21st century. But perhaps I'm most impressed with their commitment to serving community and their efforts to build a thriving future for live symphonic music through education. I look forward to working with this talented group of musicians, staff, and board members to create an orchestra committed to enriching the lives of everyone across the Centennial State and helping to fortify the Colorado Symphony’s standing as one of the preeminent arts organizations in Denver.” 
  
“From our earliest conversations, Mark’s passion and desire to utilize the power of music to transform a community and connect lives was so apparent,” said Richard Krugman and Julie Rubsam, Co-Chairs of the Board of Trustees. “Together, with our musicians, staff, and Board of Trustees, we aim to take the next steps in sustaining an organization that serves the needs of a growing and ever-changing community. We are very excited to work closely alongside him and have full confidence that he is the right person at the right time for this orchestra.” 
 
“Our musicians were overwhelmingly in favor of Mark's appointment, recognizing his leadership abilities and his extensive background as a musician and administrator,” said Peter Oundjian, Principal Conductor. “Mark is one of the top executive leaders in the orchestra world today and I look forward to working alongside him in building a bright future for our orchestra.” 
 
Cantrell has served as President and CEO of The Florida Orchestra since January 2019, navigating the orchestra through the COVID-19 pandemic while taking the orchestra from years of structural deficits to a surplus. During his tenure, he also increased public funding sources and significantly strengthened the TFO’s presence in the community. During his time as CEO of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra from September 2013 to January 2019, he is also credited with substantially growing their audience and erasing the orchestra's debt. 
 
Cantrell, who is also a musician, previously served as executive director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, personnel manager for the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, and a bass trombonist for the Boston Pops, Boston Ballet, and Boston Lyric Opera, among others. He also was an adjunct professor of music at Boston University and the University of Massachusetts. 
 
“Great leaders always strive to foster an environment of possibility,” added Cantrell. “I have never feared to be bold, take risks, or dream and those values align perfectly with those of the Colorado Symphony.” 
 
In that vein, his career path has also been marked by bold risk-taking. In the 1990s, he led a team of 16 sled dogs in 300-mile races in New England. In 2006, Cantrell followed his lifelong dream and became an airline pilot for several years before turning his pursuits to orchestral leadership. 
  
For more information, contact Nick Dobreff at 303.308.2477 or ndobreff@coloradosymphony.org. 

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CONTACTS: 
For more information or to request interviews, please contact: 
Nick Dobreff, Communications and Creative Director 
ndobreff@coloradosymphony.org?- 303.308.2477 (o) 
 
For high-resolution, downloadable images of the Colorado Symphony, contact:?ndobreff@coloradosymphony.org 
 
Support for the 2022/23 Colorado Symphony Season is provided by: The Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), Bonfils Stanton, Genesee Mountain Foundation, Liberty Global, and the Colorado Symphony Guild. 
 
TICKETS: 
Tickets to Colorado Symphony events are available online at?coloradosymphony.org/tickets, by phone at 303.623.7876, and in person at the Boettcher Concert Hall Box Office, Denver Performing Arts Complex,?1000?14th Street. The Box Office is open Monday - Friday, 10?a.m.?- 5?p.m., Saturday, noon?–?5?p.m., and two hours prior to each performance. 
 
ABOUT THE COLORADO SYMPHONY 
One of the leading orchestras in the United States, the Colorado Symphony Association is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization performing more than 150 concerts annually at Boettcher Concert Hall in downtown Denver and across Colorado. Led by Principal Conductor Peter Oundjian, the Colorado Symphony is home to eighty full-time musicians, representing more than a dozen nations, and regularly welcomes the most celebrated artists from the world of symphonic music and beyond. In the last year, the Colorado Symphony served nearly 233,000 people attending live performances at concert and non-traditional venues throughout Colorado’s Front Range. Recognized as an incubator of innovation, creativity, and excellence, the Colorado Symphony continually expands its reach through in-person and virtual education programs, outreach, and programming. The Colorado Symphony partners with the state’s leading musical artists, cultural organizations, corporations, foundations, sports teams, and individuals to expose diverse audiences to the transformative power of music. To learn more, visit coloradosymphony.org.