The Jacksonville Symphony proudly announces that Steven Libman, President and CEO, and the Board of Directors have agreed to extend his contract through June 30, 2028. Libman has served as President and CEO since January of 2020 and has made excellent strides in cementing the Symphony as one of Northeast Florida’s most important cultural institutions.

“The board is thrilled that Steven has agreed to extend his leadership role with the Jacksonville Symphony,” said Donald Baldwin, Chair of the Jacksonville Symphony’s Board of Directors. “Over the last few years, Steven has formed strong relationships with the administrative team as well as with our Music Director Courtney Lewis to help lead every aspect of the organization with excellence. The stability of having Steven serve as President and CEO for the coming years is vital to achieving our mission of serving the community with positive growth and enhancement in the arts and culture.”

Libman is a highly successful and respected executive with over 30 years of experience leading major arts organizations. He is nationally recognized for developing an entrepreneurial and creative approach to strategic planning, fundraising, programming, branding, marketing initiatives, institutional growth and problem solving. Previously, Libman has served as the Chief Advancement Officer for the Atlanta Ballet, President and CEO of the Center for the Performing Arts located in Indiana, Managing Director of the Tony Award- winning La Jolla Playhouse and Managing Director of the Pittsburgh Ballet.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue leading this great organization,” says Libman. “My team and I are deeply passionate and committed to upholding the Symphony’s mission to bring joy to the community through performances presented in Jacoby Symphony Hall, our robust music education programs and our ensembles that tour throughout the region. With the support of our loyal donors, corporations, foundations and our local, state and federal governments, I’m excited to see the Symphony continue to flourish.”

During the first year of his role, Libman navigated the Symphony’s way through the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic with innovative solutions and strictly enforced health and safety protocols so that patrons could still experience the wonders of symphonic performances during such a difficult time. The Jacksonville Symphony was one of only ten orchestras in North America that remained open during this time.

Libman also played an integral role in the creation and implementation of the Jacksonville Symphony’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Statement and Strategic Plan. Libman and his executive team worked with the Bucherati Group, a DEI consulting firm, to conduct an in- depth assessment of the Symphony’s current DEI strategies and initiatives and provide solutions for expansion and improvement. Key findings and recommendations from the assessment led to the creation of not only the Symphony’s DEI Strategic Plan, but also the DEI Task Force. In December of 2021, Libman appointed Marianne Rice as the Lory Doolittle Endowed Vice President of Music Education and DEI Initiatives, a crucial position that helps implement community and educational school programs that offer a holistic experience of symphonic music while introducing the community and students to music that is expressive and representative to the community.

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That’s the opening lyrics from the famous song “Seasons of Love” from the musical “Rent.” I have been thinking about these lyrics this past year, my first in Jacksonville, what they mean and how I measure a year. And oh, my, what a year it has been!

I started at the Jacksonville Symphony on Feb. 1, 2020, and a month later the pandemic hit, forcing us to cancel all performances between March and June and to work remotely. Although one can never prepare for such a scenario in advance, I was blessed to work with an entrepreneurial, dedicated staff coupled with a forward-thinking board and extremely talented musicians. Together with Music Director Courtney Lewis, we put together a plan to ensure that the Jacksonville Symphony would remain top of mind for the community. Click here to read the entire article.

We are still in the midst of a global pandemic and the sheer magnitude of the lives affected by COVID-19 is hard to fathom. As we all know, great news has arrived with the approval of several vaccines and thus we know there is light at the end of the tunnel, provided that enough people receive both doses of the vaccine.

What does all of this mean for the arts in general, and your Jacksonville Symphony in particular? Thanks to the creation and implementation of a robust and very strict physically distanced safety policy, we were able to open in September and since then have performed to more than 10,000 patrons through 28 concerts – a wonderful accomplishment. The Jacksonville Symphony is one of only a handful of arts organizations still performing before a live audience. But, because we can only perform to 35 percent of our capacity, we will lose over $2 million in ticket sales this season, and that gap must be made up with extraordinary gifts.

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“After a year-long search, the Board reached a unanimous decision that Steven is the absolute perfect candidate for the job,” said Don Baldwin, vice chair of the Symphony’s Board and head of the Search Committee. “As interim president and CEO, David Strickland has done a fantastic job in maintaining the momentum of the Jacksonville Symphony, and we are very pleased to have Steven guide us through this next stage of our evolution.”

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“After a year-long search, the Board reached a unanimous decision that Steven is the absolute perfect candidate for the job,” says Don Baldwin, vice chair of the Symphony’s Board and head of the Search Committee. “As Interim President & CEO, David Strickland has done a fantastic job in maintaining the momentum of the Jacksonville Symphony, and we very pleased to have Steven guide us through this next stage of our evolution.”

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