Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra Names Brandon Vanwaeyenberghe as New Executive Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2019
PRESS CONTACTS:
Melissa Lentz, DSSO Patron Services & Marketing Manager
218-623-3772, mlentz@dsso.com
DULUTH SUPERIOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA NAMES BRANDON VANWAEYENBERGHE AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra board of directors is pleased to announce the selection of Brandon VanWaeyenberghe as the DSSO’s new executive director. He has previously served as Finance Director of the Charlotte Symphony (NC).
VanWaeyenberge will begin in September, taking the helm from interim executive director Kevin Peterson, who took a leave of absence from his role as a violist with the orchestra to take on this position and lead the organization through this transition of leadership.
“I am thrilled that Brandon will be joining our team here at the DSSO!” says DSSO Music Director, Dirk Meyer, “Brandon has an extensive background in orchestra management with a special focus on fiscal sustainability. I believe he will be a great fit for us and help us navigate our orchestra into the next decade.”
Prior to joining the Charlotte Symphony Brandon spent 10 years at the Houston Symphony in four different roles in fundraising and business intelligence. He is a graduate of the League of American Orchestras Orchestra Management Fellowship program, a nationally recognized program in arts leadership. Brandon holds a BS in Music Management from the University of Evansville (IN) in addition to a Masters of Arts in Arts Administration and an MBA from the University of Cincinnati. His research regarding the supply and demand of orchestra musicians has been published and quoted in several publications.
“I am excited to join the Duluth Superior Symphony Association. The board, musicians, and staff are committed to making the community stronger through musical experiences, and I am honored to help lead these efforts.”, says VanWaeyenberghe, “ The DSSA has a long tradition of bringing music to the Twin Ports area, and their new strategic plan will build upon that foundation and expand its relevance to the community. This is a wonderful time to join the organization, and I look forward to bringing my experience from past positions in Houston and Charlotte to the organization. The 19-20 Season is a great celebration of music both new and old, and I want to invite everyone to join me a concert this year.”
Brandon will be living in Duluth with his dog Barley and will be spending his spare time doing some of the Twin Ports’ favorite pastimes: running, hiking and brewing beer.
VanWaeyenberghe also has some family ties to the area, “My grandparents have owned a small resort on Upper Eau Claire Lake near Hayward, Wisconsin for close to 30 years. I remember traveling from South Bend, Indiana to spend my middle and high school summers in Northern Wisconsin. For me, moving to Duluth will be a homecoming for me.”
About the DSSO
The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra is now in its 87th season, with the 19-20 Season opening concerts coming up on October 5, 2019 featuring world renowned cellist, Lynn Harrell and on October 26, 2019 the DSSO will bring movies scores favorites to Symphony Hall. Since its inception in 1932, the DSSO has proven to be a leading cultural organization in the region, providing high-level professional performances of symphonic music, both traditional and new, to audiences of all ages. The DSSO has more than 80 contracted musicians, about two-thirds of whom are from the Twin Ports region, about a third of whom come from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, and a few come from out of state. The DSSO also has nurtured young musicians for more than 75 years, through the Duluth Superior Symphony Youth Orchestras, open to students age 10 through 18; the DSSYO’s first concert of the 19-20 Season will be November 24, 2019. For more information, visit https://dsso.com/ or call 218-623-DSSO (3776).
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