The San Diego Symphony Announces New Director Of Artistic Planning Alan J. Benson

San Diego, CA (September 30, 2022)— The San Diego Symphony is excited to announce the appointment of Alan J. Benson (AJ) as the new Director of Artistic Planning. Benson will serve as a key partner in all aspects of the San Diego Symphony’s classical programming and artistic planning across series. Working with Symphony’s Executive Leadership team and Music Director Rafael Payare, he will craft programs for the Jacobs Masterworks Classical Series, Chamber Music, and Special Events. Benson’s predecessor was Clement So, who is now the VP for Programming of the Oregon Symphony.

Prior to his appointment in San Diego, Benson resided in New York City, where he worked for seven years with the prestigious Orchestra of St. Luke’s (OSL) as Director of Artistic Administration, programming the ensemble at venues in all five boroughs of New York City, including the orchestra’s legacy series presented by Carnegie Hall and the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. Benson launched the OSL Bach Festival centered in Zankel Hall, as well as the DeGaetano Composition Institute, a 15-year initiative of the orchestra committed to supporting emerging composers through creation and development of new works for chamber orchestra. Previously he served as Artistic Administrator for the Australian Chamber Orchestra based in Sydney, and has held positions with Carnegie Hall, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Benson is originally from Tampa, Florida, and grew up amongst a family of tennis players. He was drawn to music from an early age, and began playing horn, subsequently graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy and Northwestern University. The Symphony is excited to welcome him to its dynamic and cutting-edge artistic administrative team and the beautiful city of San Diego.

ABOUT THE SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY

Founded in 1910, the San Diego Symphony is the oldest orchestra in California and one of the largest and most significant cultural organizations in San Diego. The Orchestra performs for more than 250,000 people each season, offering a wide variety of programming at its two much-loved venues, Copley Symphony Hall in downtown San Diego (now under renovation) and The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park on San Diego Bay. In early 2018, the San Diego Symphony announced the appointment of Rafael Payare as music director. Payare leads the orchestra’s 82 full-time musicians, graduates of the finest and most celebrated music schools in the United States and abroad. The San Diego Symphony also serves as the orchestra for the San Diego Opera each season, as well as performing at several regional performing arts and community centers. For more than 30 years, the San Diego Symphony has provided comprehensive learning and community engagement programs reaching more than 65,000 students annually and bringing innovative programming to San Diego’s diverse neighborhoods and schools. For more information, visit www.sandiegosymphony.org.