Jim Hirsch has served as Executive Director of Chicago Sinfonietta since August 2004. Previously, Hirsch served as Vice President and Executive Director of the Chicago Association for the Performing Arts, Manager and Programmer of the Chicago Theatre, and as the Executive Director of the Old Town School of Folk Music. Hirsch has served as a grants panelist for the Illinois and Oregon Arts Councils and as a member of NARAS (Grammy) Awards and Nominations committee. He produced a nationally syndicated radio program for NPR, has released three albums, and in 2011 won an Emmy Award for co-producing the documentary Chicago Sinfonietta: Sounds of Diversity.