Today's post brings some exciting news about a valued colleague and personal friend, Jim Palermo.

Jim has been named as the new President and CEO of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra beginning in March.  Jim has accomplished so much in his time in Chicago as head of the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and we will all miss him.  On a personal note, I will miss his sage advice, his wonderful spirit of collaboration, and his great sense of humor.  Best of luck, Jim!

THE COLORADO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA APPOINTS JAMES W. PALERMO AS ITS NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO

DENVER (January 8, 2009) – The Colorado Symphony Orchestra (CSO) today announces the appointment of James W. Palermo as its new President and CEO. Palermo comes to Denver from Chicago, Illinois, where he served for 14 seasons as the artistic and general director of the Grant Park Music Festival. Accepting the appointment, Palermo states, “I am delighted to be joining the Colorado Symphony Orchestra as its next president and CEO, and I look forward to working with its musicians, Music Director Jeffrey Kahane, the Board of Trustees, volunteers and staff to make it one of the premier ensembles in the country. I have been so impressed with the unanimous spirit of cooperation and purpose emanating from every CSO constituent group. Everyone I have met seems totally committed to making the organization a great success. I, too, will share in that commitment to excellence and success. I look forward, with excitement and enthusiasm, to beginning my work in Denver and becoming an active member of the community.”

On Palermo’s appointment, Kevin V. Duncan, chairman of the CSO’s Board of Trustees, states, “I am very pleased that Mr. Palermo has accepted our offer to become the next president and CEO of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. The CSO conducted an extensive nationwide search to identify a number of qualified finalists. The search committee then had each finalist sit down with trustees, staff, musicians and our music director to get their impressions before the final decision was made. Mr. Palermo has experience with both hiring a music director and the construction of a new performance venue – two major endeavors now facing the CSO. With his experience and insight in both these areas, plus his deep knowledge of our repertoire, he will become a great asset for the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.”

Music Director Jeffrey Kahane sees Palermo as perfectly equipped for this position, and looks forward to working with him. “I am utterly delighted and honored that James Palermo is coming to Denver,” states Kahane.  “I am thoroughly convinced he's a great fit for both the orchestra and the city. Jim is widely admired among his colleagues in the field, and he brings an immense wealth of musical knowledge and proven administrative skills. He is a true visionary, which is exactly what the CSO needs in these challenging times. We have a terrific chemistry and I'm tremendously excited about this opportunity to have a working partnership with him.”

During his tenure as artistic and general director of the Grant Park Music Festival (GPMF), Palermo played a key role in the development of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, the Grant Park Music Festival’s permanent home since July 2004. Also during his tenure, the Festival created the Grant Park Orchestral Association, a non-profit organization that supports the mission and priorities of

the GPMF. Partnerships he formed between GPMF and the community included the Chicago Sister Cities International, the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Children’s Choir and the Sherwood Conservatory. Palermo spearheaded the GPMF’s debut recording release in 1999 and several fully commercial releases since then. Palermo moved to Chicago in 1995 from Louisville, Kentucky, where he served as orchestra manager of The Louisville Orchestra. Prior to his position in Louisville, he served as general manager of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra in southwestern Indiana from 1989-1992. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Palermo showed musical inclination at an early age. He attended Indiana University where he received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in trumpet performance. In 1988, the League of American Orchestras selected him as a fellow in its Orchestra Management Fellowship Program. During the fellowship he worked with the orchestras of Colorado Springs, St. Louis and Cincinnati. Palermo has served as a consultant and board member for a number of organizations, including the Grant Park Cultural and Educational Community, the program planning committee for the Sherwood Conservatory, the music director and executive director search committees for the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, the 25th anniversary committee for the Chicago Opera Theater and the executive director search committee for University of Chicago Presents.

James W. Palermo begins his role as President and CEO of the CSO on March 9, 2009. 

For more information about James Palermo’s appointment or to schedule an interview, please contact Andrew Mathis at (303) 308-2462 or amathis@coloradosymphony.org

About the Colorado Symphony Orchestra

Established in 1989 as the successor of the Denver Symphony, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra is the state’s only full-time professional orchestra. Each season, the CSO performs a 21-week Masterworks series of classical programs, as well as Pops, Family, Holiday and summer parks concerts, to approximately 220,000 patrons. Centrally located in downtown Denver, most performances are held at the Denver Performing Arts Complex in Boettcher Concert Hall. In 2005, the CSO appointed Jeffrey Kahane as the ninth music director in the 82-year history of the Denver and Colorado Symphony Orchestras.