Author - Jesse Rosen

Jesse Rosen has been recognized as one of the outstanding thinkers in contemporary performing arts leadership. As president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras since July 2008, he has raised the level of debate about the current and future role of orchestras among fellow arts leaders, policy makers, and opinion leaders in Washington, D.C. and across the United States, and among the League’s more than 900 member orchestras. Mr. Rosen has introduced international thought leaders such as Jim Collins and Jose Antonio Abreu to the orchestra world. He has convened and frequently participates in cross-disciplinary conversations that furnish important new perspectives for the field and the classical music art form.

Under Mr. Rosen’s guidance, the League has taken a leadership role in helping orchestras adapt to a rapidly changing environment. In the fall of 2008 the organization responded quickly to member needs for hands-on support during the financial downturn by mobilizing programs across multiple platforms, from mentoring opportunities to seminars and webinars on “Managing During a Financial Downturn.” New initiatives in Advocacy and Communications; Learning and Leadership Development; and Research/ Development and Innovation have expanded the League’s support of orchestras as they work to deepen civic engagement, explore new artistic and operating models, and foster collaboration. The League has raised nearly $22 million toward its $25-million Campaign for a New Direction, which was launched after a field-wide strategic planning process of which Mr. Rosen was chief architect.

A lifelong musician and experienced orchestra CEO, Mr. Rosen has stimulated innovation throughout his more than 10-year tenure at the League. In his previous position as executive vice president and managing director, he was instrumental in creating new programs such as Music Alive, the American Conducting Fellows, and Ford Made in America. Prior to joining the League’s administrative staff in 1998, he served as general manager of the Seattle Symphony, executive vice president and managing director of the American Composers Orchestra in New York City, orchestra manager of the New York Philharmonic, and vice president of programs for Affiliate Artists, Inc., where he developed and launched the Seaver Conducting Award and managed the Exxon/Arts Endowment Conductors Program. A trombonist, Mr. Rosen received his bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music and pursued graduate studies at The Juilliard School.

Jesse Rosen serves on the boards of the American Composers Orchestra and the Performing Arts Alliance and the Board of Overseers of the Curtis Institute of Music.