Cleveland Orchestra Manager Jennifer Barlament Joins Atlanta Symphony as Executive Director

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Board Chair D. Kirk Jamieson today announced that Jennifer Barlament has accepted the position of Executive Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Barlament is currently the General Manager of The Cleveland Orchestra. She will begin in January 2016. She was selected after an international search overseen by a committee appointed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Board of Directors, led by Vice Chair Tom Wardell.

Barlament brings more than 15 years of experience as an orchestra professional to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Since 2013, she has served as General Manager of the Cleveland Orchestra. In that role, she has been responsible for all facilities, orchestra operations, touring, media, front of house operations and collective bargaining. Barlament previously served as Executive Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra from 2009-2013. She also served as General Manager of the Omaha Symphony in Nebraska, from 2002-2009. Barlament will succeed Terry Neal who took on interim leadership responsibilities for the Symphony in October 2014.

"Jennifer's demonstrated success at the Cleveland Orchestra, one of the most respected orchestras in the world, along with her ability to innovate and develop connections within the community made her the ideal candidate for this position," said Jamieson. "We are very excited about Jennifer's arrival. She possesses both the dedication to the art and the exemplary business and management skills to elevate the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to the next level."

A musician by training, Barlament holds a bachelor's degree in music from Emory University and a master's degree in clarinet performance from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in New York. There, she founded the New Eastman Symphony, and in 2013, she was awarded the Helen M. Thompson Award by the League of American Orchestras.

"It is a tremendous honor to be chosen to lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. It is especially poignant for me to come home to Georgia to serve a city and an Orchestra that I love, working with Robert Spano, one of the great original thinkers in American classical music," said Barlament. "Together with the entire team, I look forward to building on and enriching the Orchestra's legacy in service to this great community, state and region."

Barlament added, "I'm also excited about the opportunity to work with colleagues across the Woodruff Arts Center campus and to explore new ways of working together in the future."

"On behalf of the Board and leadership of the Woodruff Arts Center, I want to take this opportunity to welcome Jennifer, who will be a wonderful asset to the organization," said Virginia Hepner, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Woodruff Arts Center. "I would also like to thank Terry Neal for the marvelous work he has done leading the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. We greatly appreciate his willingness to continue in the role through the end of the year and we are pleased that he will remain a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors."

"I want to thank the members of the Board and the entire Search Committee for their time and dedication to this process," said Robert Spano, Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. "I am very pleased with the outcome. Jennifer and her track record are very impressive and I believe she will be a tremendous leader for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO), currently in its 71st season, consistently affirms its position as one of America's leading Orchestras by performing great music, presenting great artists, educating and engaging. The Orchestra is known for the excellence of its live performances, presentations, renowned choruses and its impressive list of GRAMMY Award-winning recordings. The leading cultural organization in the Southeast, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra serves as the cornerstone for artistic development and music education in the region.

The Woodruff Arts Center is one of the largest arts centers in the world, home to the Grammy Award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Tony Award-winning Alliance Theatre and the High Museum of Art, the leading art museum in the Southeast. Each year, these centers of artistic excellence play host to more than 1.2 million patrons at the Woodruff Arts Center's Midtown Atlanta location, one of the only arts centers in the U.S. to host both visual and performing arts on a single campus. The Woodruff Arts Center also offers remarkable educational programming through each of its arts partners. Through their combined efforts, The Woodruff Arts Center serves more than 200,000 students annually, is the largest arts educator in Georgia and is a premier family destination. www.woodruffcenter.org

Photo Credit: Roger Mastroianni

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