Description

The Louisville Orchestra (LO), among the most adventurous and innovative orchestras in the nation, seeks a steady, experienced, and inspiring leader to become its next Executive Director. Since its founding in 1937, the LO has been the cornerstone of the arts in Louisville and the region beyond, nationally and internationally applauded as a prolific commissioner of new works, and a beloved, pioneering cultural gem.  

The Executive Director serves as chief executive of the Louisville Orchestra and, together with the Music Director and the Board of Directors, is responsible for its success. Together, they work to execute the Orchestra’s mission, fortify its standing in the greater Louisville region and within the orchestral landscape, ensure the Orchestra’s fiscal stability, and engage the entire community of stakeholders—patrons, donors, musicians, staff, and others to co-create the Louisville Orchestra experience and enable the institution’s forward momentum.  
 
Our next Executive Director will be a compelling ambassador and organizational leader, accountable for managing and developing a team of senior leaders, ensuring that all departments are aligned and collaborate to achieve the artistic vision of the Music Director and stewardship goals of the Board. At present, the Executive Director’s eight (8) direct reports include the Chief of Staff, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Development, Director of Endowment Giving, Director of Artistic Operations, Director of Marketing, Director of Patron Services, and Director of Strategic Partnerships. 

For full job description please visit: https://www.louisvilleorchestra.org/about/jobs-auditions/careers

Nominations and applications, including CV and cover letter, can be sent electronically, in confidence, to the following: jobs@21cmediagroup.com. Closing date for applications is March 1, 2026.

Requirements

In our next Executive Director, the LO seeks a leader with meaningful stature in the arts, significant administrative experience, strong communication skills, demonstrated ability to lead, and a strategic mind to guide the continuous improvement of the institution. The new Executive Director will be a bold leader who is passionate about the LO’s mission, committed to its longstanding standards of excellence, and motivated by its future potential. 
 
The Executive Director must be a highly credible representative of the Orchestra among diverse audiences. Although executive experience in professional orchestra management and administration is desired, candidates with significant executive experience in other types of non-profit organizations, and who have substantial passion for and knowledge of the arts and orchestral music, are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will be required to maintain a full-time residence within Louisville/Jefferson County (preferred) or surrounding counties and reside here in Louisville full-time (minus ordinary vacation, family commitments, similar). Leading the Louisville Orchestra is ‘more than a full-time job’—candidates are discouraged from pursuing other contract or similar engagement in addition to this role. While no candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional qualifications and possess these personal characteristics, attributes, and values: 

• A sincere professional and personal commitment to the mission and values of the Orchestra 
• Significant evidence of leadership and management success in an organization of similar scope, scale, and complexity
• Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking 
• Passion for and proven skills in donor cultivation and fundraising 
• Experience managing multiple constituencies, inspiring and coalescing diverse stakeholders toward a common goal
• Proven capacity in effectively leading a senior team; a record of recruiting and retaining diverse talent at all levels; exceptional skill for inspiring, motivating, developing, and empowering staff
• Experience engaging with a board or other governing body 
• Demonstrated change management skills 
• The capacity to work respectfully and collectively on challenges large and small 
• A track record of building strong external relationships
• Ability to set priorities and make hard decisions 
• Strong business and financial management skills, and, ideally, experience successfully leading a financially lean institution  
• Experience building new revenue streams, whether earned or contributed 
• A strong understanding of the classical music industry, presenting organizations, and American symphony orchestras in particular, including their history, current trajectory, mission, and possibilities for the future 
• The depth of artistic and musical knowledge required to become a leader and collaborator in the cultural community, and a true partner to the musicians and the Music Director 
• A principled commitment to social justice and the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and a track record of turning those core values into action
• The sound judgment of a highly ethical and honest individual
• Clear and persuasive communication style 
• A warm, relational, and healing interpersonal approach
• Drive, stamina, and endurance 

For full job description please visit: https://www.louisvilleorchestra.org/about/jobs-auditions/careers