Cathedral Choral Society selects Catherine Ort-Mabry Interim Executive Director

Cathedral Choral Society Selects Catherine Ort-Mabry as Interim Executive Director

October 21, 2024

Washington, D.C. - Sarah Holmes, president of the Cathedral Choral Society (CCS) board of trustees, announced today that Catherine Ort-Mabry, CAE, a trusted executive and board advisor with extensive nonprofit communications and engagement expertise, will serve as CCS’s interim executive director beginning October 28th.

Ms. Ort-Mabry is a compelling and effective leader with deep experience in helping large-scale nonprofit membership-based organizations define and deliver member value. She recently served as chief marketing and communications officer for the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences. During her tenure at ASM, Ort-Mabry developed programs that exceeded goals in customer satisfaction, membership recruitment and retention, media exposure, and digital reach. Ms. Ort-Mabry is also Chief Executive Officer of C O M Solutions, a consulting firm that partners with purpose-driven organizations to meet their strategic priorities by activating their key stakeholders. In addition to her professional expertise, she has served as a member of the CCS soprano section for more than 25 years. 

Ort-Mabry will provide leadership and support to the CCS team while the organization begins a national search for its next executive director. Her efforts will focus on staff and operational leadership, board governance, and revenue enhancement through marketing and fundraising oversight.

“The Cathedral Choral Society is strong and thriving thanks to the powerful combination of excellent leadership, exceptional artistic vision and exemplary performances, and I am honored to be able to be part of its continuing success,” Ort-Mabry said. “It’s a true delight to sing with this amazing group of artists, and now I’ll be able to contribute both on stage and behind the scenes.”

Ms. Holmes stated, “I am delighted that Ms. Ort-Mabry has agreed to serve as our interim executive director. She brings a wealth of experience in non-profit work and has a decades-long devotion to the Cathedral Choral Society.”

CCS’s music director Steven Fox noted, "Catherine's experience and long history with CCS is a perfect fit for our goals and vision this season. It is a year full of collaborations, with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Chanticleer, and a host of extraordinary soloists. We're excited to welcome Catherine to CCS as we begin this special season. We know she will lead us to great heights."

Ort-Mabry’s selection follows the departure of Christopher Eanes, CCS’s executive director since 2019, who announced his departure in September to assume the role of president and CEO of Chorus America, the national advocacy and membership organization for choruses throughout North America. The CCS board of trustees has formed a search committee to guide the recruitment and hiring of its next executive director. Additional information about the search process will be shared in the coming weeks.

ABOUT THE CATHEDRAL CHORAL SOCIETY

As Washington, DC’s oldest symphonic chorus, the GRAMMY-nominated Cathedral Choral Society sets the standard for vibrant, engaging concerts in the nation’s capital. Each season, CCS presents mainstage concerts at its home, Washington National Cathedral, inviting concertgoers on exciting musical journeys that reflect the rich diversity of musical traditions in our local community and throughout our nation. The aims of the chorus are to invite more people into the art of choral singing, elevate emerging voices, and steward the art for future generations.

Since its inaugural performance of Verdi’s Requiem in 1942 at the outset of the Second World War, CCS has performed in times of national celebration and in times of mourning. The chorus has performed with some of the most extraordinary musicians of the last century, including Robert Shaw, Marin Alsop, Leonard Slatkin, Dominick Argento, John Rutter, Dave Brubeck, J’nai Bridges, and more. In collaboration with New York’s Clarion Music and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, CCS was nominated for a 2021 GRAMMY Award for its recording of Alexander Kastalsky’s Requiem for Fallen Brothers. 

CCS has embarked on numerous other collaborations, often with today’s finest performing ensembles. These have included the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Ballet, the Washington Bach Consort, Kansas City Chorale, Washington Ballet, and more. A multi-year collaboration with the Heritage Signature Chorale, called I, Too, Sing America, has resulted in performances and documentary videos – available on CCS’s YouTube channel - and will culminate in a concert of new commissions from African American composers in 2026. The Cathedral Choral Society is heavily invested in fostering emerging voices by regularly commissioning up-and-coming composers and featuring outstanding young soloists.

CCS offers educational opportunities through ongoing partnerships and digital initiatives. An annual High School Choir Festival brings more than 200 students from around the region together for a day of learning and singing together; 2025 will mark the 18th annual festival.

The Cathedral Choral Society was founded by the Cathedral’s music director Paul Callaway in 1941, just days before the United States entered World War II. Since that time, only two other music directors have led the chorus: J. Reilly Lewis from 1985 to 2016, and, since 2018, Steven Fox.

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Erin Haar
Creative Media & Marketing Manager
ehaar@cathedral.org | (202) 537-5538

Amanda Sweet
Bucklesweet
amanda@bucklesweet.com | (347) 564-3371