Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra President and CEO Jonathan Martin to Retire

CSO Chief Operating Officer Robert McGrath Named Acting President and CEO

CINCINNATI, OH (November 22, 2024)—The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) today announced that President and CEO Jonathan Martin plans to retire on February 16, 2025, following a seven-year tenure helming the organization. CSO Chief Operating Officer Robert McGrath will assume the position of Acting President and CEO.

Under Martin’s leadership, the CSO experienced one of the most artistically dynamic and financially stable periods in its 130-year history, broadened its services to the Cincinnati region through groundbreaking new performances and an inclusive approach to serving its community and ushered in a new era with the appointment of Cristian Macelaru as the CSO’s next Music Director.

“The seven years of leading the CSO in Cincinnati, a community that loves and nurtures the performing arts, has been unquestionably the highlight of my 45 years in the American orchestra field,” said Martin. “I am proud of the strength of our institution and its broadened service to our community. While my decision to retire is bittersweet for me personally, it was made less so by knowing that the CSO is a strong, stable organization with fabulous musicians, an extraordinarily talented Music Director Designate, a dedicated Board of Directors and an administrative staff that is the envy of our field.”

Martin led the development and implementation of the CSO’s current long-term strategic plan which has resulted in innovative ways to present and experience classical music. In 2019, he oversaw the launch of CSO Proof, an incubator for pioneering new concert formats. Since the series’ inception, the CSO has presented ten CSO Proof concerts, incorporating vogue ballroom culture in Singulis et Simul (2020), multimedia in ANNO (2021), and an immersive Havana night club experience in Surrealist El Tropical (2023) among others.

“Jonathan is a formidable leader,” said CSO Board Chair Dianne Rosenberg. “His commitment to moving the CSO forward to embrace new opportunities and engage wider audiences has made a lasting impact on our Orchestra and our City. He leaves us with a bright future, and I am grateful to him for his dedication.”

During his tenure, Martin also greatly amplified the Orchestra’s commitment to inclusion with focused strategies to address systemic underrepresentation of BIPOC individuals in orchestral music. At Martin’s direction, the CSO became one of the first American orchestras to create, and the first to endow, a Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer position on its administrative team, ensuring the absorption of best practices into every facet of the organization. In 2021, Martin catalyzed the creation of the Orchestra’s Brady Block Parties Series, free outdoor events anchored by CSO concerts that take place in neighborhoods across Greater Cincinnati.

Martin serves as the leader of the combined organization of the CSO and its subsidiary, Music and Event Management, Inc. (MEMI), leading one of the most financially stable periods in the organization’s history. During Martin’s leadership, the CSO has grown its endowment funds by over $100 million and balanced its operating budgets every fiscal year for 14 consecutive years. Martin also presided over the creation of The Andrew J Brady Music Center® on the Banks in 2021 and is currently leading a multi- million dollar building campaign to replace the 40-year-old Riverbend Music Center with a new, state-of-the-art outdoor performance venue.

Martin’s retirement will be effective February 16, 2025. Robert McGrath, a 13-year veteran of the CSO and its Chief Operating Officer, will immediately assume the role of Acting President and CEO of the CSO. Over the next three months, Martin and McGrath will work together to facilitate a smooth transition in leadership.

“Robert McGrath has been a key partner of mine and an instrumental force in driving forward our strategic initiatives, fostering an exceptional, collaborative culture that makes possible our service to the community,” said Martin. “His dedication to the Orchestra and the Cincinnati community is unmatched. The future of the CSO is bright under Robert’s leadership, and I look forward to working with him as we transition roles in the coming months.”

As Chief Operating Officer of the CSO since 2021 and Vice President and General Manager from 2011-2021, Robert McGrath has contributed to one of the most artistically vibrant, diverse and financially stable chapters in the Orchestra’s history, overseeing a growing portfolio that encompasses artistic planning, marketing, communications, orchestra personnel, production, media and learning initiatives. Through the years, his innovative performance strategies have yielded expanded audiences and increased earned revenue, leading to 13 consecutive years of balanced operating budgets and making possible some of the CSO’s most ambitious artistic endeavors to date, including Lumenocity®, a multi-day festival of music and light-based art, and CSO Proof. Under McGrath’s leadership, the CSO also made significant strides in expanding its educational initiatives to support populations historically underrepresented in American orchestras, including the creation of the CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship in 2015 and expansion of the Nouveau program, which supports African American and Latine student musicians in classical music.

Robert McGrath also played a critical role in the Orchestra’s business continuity and resilience during times of transformative change, serving as key personnel in facilitating a $143 million renovation of Music Hall and the master transition plan during the 17-month construction period. He also served on search committees for new artistic leadership, resulting in the successful hires of Music Directors Louis Langrée in 2013 and Cristian M?celaru in 2024, and led productive labor relations with the musicians and Local-1, American Federation of Musicians (AFM) that recently culminated in two industry-leading collective bargaining agreements in 2021 and 2024, incorporating adaptive scheduling paradigms and best practices regarding musician tenure review and auditions.

Notably, Robert McGrath navigated the Orchestra through the complexities of the Covid-19 pandemic and led the acceleration of strategic plans for digital content and innovation, including the creation of the Orchestra’s first-ever digital team that have managed and produced more than 100 online and broadcast programs, reaching a global audience of more than four million listeners and viewers.

“It has been an honor to be a part of the forward trajectory of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and I am deeply grateful to Jonathan for his leadership and guidance through the years,” said McGrath. “I am excited to partner with Cristian Macelaru, our Board of Directors, musicians, administrative team and the community as we continue to increase our impact and relevance through music.”

JONATHAN MARTIN

Jonathan Martin has served as President and CEO of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati May Festival and Music and Event Management, Inc. since September 2017, overseeing a combined $110 million umbrella organization.

Under Martin’s leadership, the CSO developed and is implementing a long-term strategic plan which has resulted in groundbreaking new ways to present and experience classical music and greatly amplifying its commitment to equity and inclusion with focused strategies to address systemic underrepresentation of BIPOC individuals in orchestral music. Martin successfully led the organization through a global search for its next music director, announcing Cristian Macelaru in the spring of 2024, and is currently leading a multi-million dollar building campaign to replace the 40-year-old Riverbend Music Center with a new, state-of-the-art 21,000-seat outdoor performance venue.

Prior to Cincinnati, Martin served as President and CEO of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra from 2012 to 2017. There, he led initiatives that included the launch of a $100 million major gifts campaign and the inauguration of a groundbreaking, multidisciplinary/multi-genre arts festival with orchestral collaborations, featuring music by artists such as Pharrell Williams.

Prior to leading the Dallas Symphony, Martin served for nine years as General Manager of The Cleveland Orchestra. There, he oversaw orchestral operations including the operation of Severance Hall and Blossom Music Center, managed 22 domestic and international tours and residencies, and helped develop and launch its ten-year residency program in Miami, Florida.

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Martin holds a music degree from Georgia State University and began his career at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, where he served in five sequential positions over 14 years, most of it under the mentorship of legendary Music Director Robert Shaw.

Nationally, Martin serves on the Recommendation Board of the Avery Fisher Career Grants Awards. In 2020, Martin led the formation of the Orchestral Music Licensing Association (OMLA), a national association focused on addressing music licensing and royalty issues impacting American orchestras. Martin is also co-founder with Stanford Thompson of Equity Arc, a national association of organizations committed to achieving racial equity in the field of classical music. The CSO incubated and served as its first headquarters. Martin also serves as vice-chair of Equity Arc’s Board of Directors. Martin also serves on the Board of Creative Ohio, a statewide advocacy group for the creative economy in Ohio.

ROBERT MCGRATH

As Chief Operating Officer of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Robert McGrath has contributed to one of the most artistically vibrant, diverse and financially stable chapters in the Orchestra’s distinguished 130-year history, overseeing a broad portfolio that encompasses artistic planning, marketing, communications, orchestra personnel, production, media and learning initiatives.

His innovative performance strategies have yielded expanded audiences and increased earned revenue, leading to 13 consecutive years of balanced operating budgets, making possible some of the CSO’s most ambitious artistic endeavors to date, including Lumenocity®, a multi-day festival of music and light-based art; CSO Proof, an incubator for pioneering new concert formats; the Fanfare Project, the commissioning of 20 solo fanfares from a diverse range of composers during the Covid-19 pandemic; city-wide initiatives, including CSO Look Around and One City/One Symphony; and the creation and adoption of the May Festival’s new artistic leadership model, with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Julia Wolfe serving its inaugural Festival Director.

Under McGrath’s leadership, the CSO also made significant strides in expanding its educational initiatives in terms of breadth of programming and support for populations historically underrepresented in American orchestras. He helped establish the CSO/CCM Diversity Fellowship in 2015 and played a key role in developing the Orchestra’s new learning strategic plan that focuses on equitable access to orchestral music, exemplified by the expansion of the Nouveau program, which supports African American and Latine student musicians in classical music.

Robert McGrath also played a critical role in the Orchestra’s business continuity and resilience during times of transformative change. He served as key personnel in facilitating a $143 million renovation of Music Hall and the master transition plan during the 17-month construction period. He also served on committees for new artistic leadership, resulting in the successful hires of Music Directors Louis Langrée in 2013 and Cristian M?celaru in 2024, and led productive labor relations with the musicians and Local-1, American Federation of Musicians (AFM) that recently culminated in two industry-leading collective bargaining agreements in 2021 and 2024.

Notably, Robert McGrath navigated the Orchestra through the complexities of the Covid-19 pandemic and led the acceleration of strategic plans for digital content and innovation. He spearheaded a special task force that monitored Covid-19 developments, devised comprehensive safety protocols and ensured their swift implementation in response to rapidly evolving health guidelines. He also catalyzed the first socially-distanced livestreamed performance in the industry during the pandemic as well as the creation of the Orchestra’s Live from Music Hall digital concert series which has garnered global attention, positioning the CSO at the forefront of digital innovation in the field. Since 2020, the CSO has produced over 100 programs for online and broadcast, reaching more than four million viewers worldwide and extending the Orchestra’s global reach and impact to new heights.

Robert McGrath is a graduate of the New England Conservatory with a Bachelor of Music in bassoon performance, an alumnus of the League of American Orchestras’ Management Fellowship Program and a recent winner of Cincinnati Business Courier’s prestigious C-Suite Award. Prior to joining the CSO as Vice President and General Manager in 2011, he held positions with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra and orchestras in Chicago and Boston.

CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

With a legacy dating back 130 years, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is considered one of America’s finest and most versatile ensembles. In the 2025-26 season, Cristian Macelaru joins the Orchestra as its 14th Music Director, after serving as Music Director Designate in the 2024-25 season. The Orchestra also performs as the Cincinnati Pops, founded by Erich Kunzel in 1977 and currently led by John Morris Russell with Damon Gupton serving as Principal Guest Conductor. The CSO further elevates the city’s vibrant arts scene by serving as the official orchestra for the Cincinnati May Festival, Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Ballet.

Since its inception in 1895, the CSO has dedicated itself to seeking and sharing inspiration with the Greater Cincinnati community through the transformative power of music. With a vibrant and dedicated history, the CSO has commissioned more than 200 new works and presented more than 300 world or U.S. premieres, solidifying its role as a cornerstone of musical innovation. The CSO’s commissioning legacy includes two Fanfare Projects, the first during World War II and the second during the Covid-19 pandemic, that sought to inspire, uplift and provide meaning during pivotal moments in our nation’s shared history through the universal language of music. In addition to its commissioning efforts, the CSO and Pops can be heard around the world through more than 300 commercial recordings, including those on the Orchestra’s own label, Fanfare Cincinnati.

The CSO is committed to its vision to be the most relevant orchestra in America, realized through a focus on serving the entire community and continually innovating ways in which the Orchestra presents music. Recent examples include: One City, One Symphony, designed to bring people together through music and provide city-wide discussions about relevant society themes; Lumenocity, merging music and visual arts to bathe the iconic façade of Music Hall in projected light; Look Around, a piece composed to activate the entirety of Washington Park and unite the musical community of Cincinnati; and CSO Proof, the Orchestra’s flagship program for new concert experiences and formats.

The CSO is also dedicated to enriching and expanding access to music education through the power of culturally inclusive music to nurture and inspire lifelong learning. Through its key focus areas—Listen, Play and Develop—the Orchestra aims to bring music education the Greater Cincinnati community, offering opportunities through its two youth orchestras, Musicians in Schools, the CSO Brass Institute and one of the longest running Young People’s Concerts series in the United States, which was launched more than 100 years ago.

A leader in diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the industry, the CSO was one of the first American orchestras to create and first to endow a Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer position on its administrative team, ensuring the absorption of best DE&I practices into every facet of the organization. In 2007, the CSO created the Nouveau Program, which has supported increased participation in classical music and provided equitable opportunities for music study and performance for more than 80 African American and Latine student musicians. The CSO is also an incubator for and partner to Equity Arc, a consortium of American orchestras, professional musicians and educators established to address the lack of racial equity in the classical music field by aligning resources and collaborating to strengthen the trajectory of classical instrumentalists of color at all stages of their pre-careers.

 

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