Fashion
Houston Symphony Taps Gary Ginstling as C.E.O.
The veteran orchestra manager, who abruptly resigned from his post as the New York Philharmonic leader last year, said he was drawn to the dynamism of Houston.
Gary Ginstling, a veteran orchestra manager who briefly led the New York Philharmonic before abruptly resigning last year, will become the next chief executive of the Houston Symphony, the ensemble announced on Friday.
He will take the helm of the orchestra, which was founded in 1913, as it works to elevate its artistic profile and increase fund-raising. The Houston Symphony is close to completing a $60 million renovation of its home, Jones Hall, and it has been working to attract new audiences.
Ginstling, who starts next month, said he was drawn to the dynamism of Houston.
“The word is potential — potential to be a cultural leader in Houston, to be a world-class orchestra and to enter into a new era with this amazing group of people,” he said. “You really get the sense that everything is possible.”
Ginstling, 58, has held senior posts at a variety of ensembles, including the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, the Indianapolis Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra.
But he had a rocky time as president and chief executive of the New York Philharmonic. He left in July, after just a year on the job, amid friction with musicians, staff, board members and the star maestro Gustavo Dudamel, the Philharmonic’s soon-to-be music and artistic director.
In an interview this week, Ginstling declined to comment on his departure, saying, “I’m going to leave the past in the past.”