Alan Valentine
The Nashville Symphony announced Wednesday that president and CEO Alan Valentine will retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, marking the end of a 28-year tenure.
According to a release, Valentine joined the nonprofit in 1998, with his leadership helping shape many of the symphony’s milestones and achievements.
These include the design, financing and construction of downtown’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center, which opened in SoBro in 2006; two capital and endowment campaigns totaling $145 million; the hiring of music director and conductor Giancarlo Guerrero (who recently concluded his tenure); and the initial and returning appointments of Leonard Slatkin as music adviser.
With Valentine as president and CEO, the Nashville Symphony has earned 14 Grammy Awards and 27 nominations, produced more than 40 recordings, commissioned and premiered dozens of works (including Violins of Hope and opera The Jonah People: A Legacy of Struggle and Triumph), made its Carnegie Hall debut and embarked on a sold-out East Coast tour.
Valentine also helped launched the Accelerando program and expanded the symphony’s community reach, engaging more than 550,000 Middle Tennesseans annually through concerts, education programs and community initiatives.
During Valentine’s tenure, the Nashville Symphony has struggled at times financially — with the challenges having evolved, in part, due to Nashville's 2010 Flood. For example, in April, the nonprofit laid off eight employees, including several director-level positions (with the organization having listed 54 employees on its website at the time). In July 2024, the organization laid off four vice presidents and six junior staff members.
To find a successor, the Nashville Symphony Board of Directors has engaged Arts Consulting Group to lead a national search for the next president and CEO.
“Alan’s leadership has had a profound impact on the Nashville Symphony and Nashville,” Mary Cavarra, board chair, says in the release. “His vision, dedication and resilience have positioned the Symphony as a cultural cornerstone of our city and a leader in the orchestral world. We are profoundly grateful for his decades of service and leadership and look forward to celebrating his remarkable legacy in the months ahead.”
Valentine says in the release that working for the Nashville Symphony “has been the honor of a lifetime.”
“Together, we have built something truly special: a world-class orchestra performing in a world-class hall that not only delivers extraordinary musical experiences but also enriches the lives of people across Middle Tennessee," says Valentine. "I am deeply grateful to our musicians, staff, boards, volunteers, donors, audiences, and the arts community for their support and for sharing in this journey for the past 28 years.”
This post originally appeared at our sister publication Nashville Post.
