Detroit, (October 30, 2024) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and President & CEO Erik Rönmark today announced that the orchestra has appointed Martin Sher to the newly created position of Vice President and Chief Artistic & Operating Officer, joining its executive leadership team of Rönmark, Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Jill Elder, and Vice President and Chief Financial & Administrative Officer Linda Lutz.
Sher will provide strategic leadership for all aspects of the DSO’s artistic administration, orchestra operations, community engagement, and education efforts, working closely with Senior Director of Artistic Planning Jessica Ruiz, General Manager Kathryn Ginsburg, Senior Director of Social Innovation & Learning Karisa Antonio, and their teams.
Sher comes to the DSO from the New World Symphony in Miami, where he has served as Senior Vice President of Artistic Planning and Programs since 2019. Prior to that, he held leadership positions with the North Carolina Symphony and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Sher will officially start at the DSO on January 6, 2025.
“I am excited to welcome Martin to the leadership team of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra,” said Rönmark. “With a proven track record, he brings a wealth of experience that will complement and drive forward the excellence and innovation that the DSO is known for across our artistic operations, concerts, music education, and community offerings. I look forward to his insights and contributions as we continue to impact lives through music.”
"I am thrilled to join the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at a time when both the DSO and Detroit are experiencing such inspired forward momentum,” said Sher. “I look forward to working with the musicians, board, staff, and Jader Bignamini to build upon the orchestra's efforts in connecting with and enriching the community."
As the Chief Artistic & Operating Officer, Sher will also be responsible for developing a portfolio that reflects the mission and vision of the DSO, elevating the orchestra and Music Director Jader Bignamini, and cultivating and deepening the orchestra’s strategic artistic and cultural partnerships. To that end, the role is tasked with creating an unparalleled concert experience for audiences that furthers the reputation of the DSO as a destination for musicians and artists worldwide and as a Detroit community and cultural leader; fostering a thriving artistic and work environment for orchestra musicians, guest artists and conductors, composers, staff, and crew members; and guiding the vision and strategy of the DSO’s education, community engagement, and social innovation efforts, including its Detroit Strategy and Detroit Harmony program.
About Martin Sher
Martin Sher has held influential roles in the music and performing arts world, bringing a depth of experience and strategic vision to each organization he has served. After joining the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in 2000 as a violist, where he served for six years, Sher went on to complete the League of American Orchestras’ prestigious Orchestra Management Fellowship Program. This led him to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO), where he served as VP of Artistic Planning and helped guide the ISO’s Music Director search, resulting in the appointment of Krzysztof Urbanski.
Following his time at the ISO, Sher took on the role of General Manager of the North Carolina Symphony (NCS), where he championed programming that highlighted the work of female composers, helping the NCS secure a spot in the Kennedy Center’s inaugural 'Shift' Festival. His commitment to diversity and community partnerships was further exemplified by his development of a multi-faceted collaboration with the indigenous Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians.
Since 2019, Sher has been the SVP of Artistic Planning and Programs at the New World Symphony, where he helped lead the transition to a new Artistic Director and implemented transformative programming that is now far more inclusive of underrepresented communities. This vision is evident in large-scale events, such as the annual I Dream a World festival and numerous partnerships with important local and national civic and cultural organizations.
As a musician, Sher has performed at festivals such as the Music Festival of the Hamptons, Strings in the Mountains in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and the Sitka Music Festival in Alaska. From 2003 to 2006, he was a regular guest with the Berlin Philharmonic. He holds degrees in performance from the Peabody Institute (violin) and SUNY Stony Brook (viola). Sher enjoys travel, cooking, wine, soccer and, despite being a lifelong Yankee fan, will do his best to cheer for the Tigers.
About the DSO
The acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. Led by Music Director Jader Bignamini since 2020, the DSO makes its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, offering a performance schedule that features the PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in metro area venues, as well as eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts.
Since its first school concerts a century ago, and particularly since the founding of the Civic Youth Ensembles in 1970, the DSO has been a national leader in bringing the benefits of music education to students, teachers, and families in Detroit and surrounding communities. The DSO remains committed to expanding its participation in the growth and well-being of Detroit through programs like its Detroit Neighborhood Initiative—cultural events co-created with community partners and residents—and Detroit Harmony, a promise to provide an instrument and instruction to any student in the city who wants to learn. With unwavering support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to impact lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences.