Mr. Freck will work closely with the President and CEO and incoming Music Director Kwamé Ryan to design and implement the CSO’s artistic vision.
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra has announced the appointment of Scott Freck as Vice President of Artistic Operations and General Manager beginning September 16, 2024.
In this role, Mr. Freck will work closely with the President and CEO and incoming Music Director Kwamé Ryan to design and implement the CSO’s artistic vision and to cultivate and deepen the Symphony’s relationships with performing arts venue partners, local arts and culture organizations, and key community partners. Scott Freck previously served as Executive Director of the Eugene Symphony and Vice President for Artistic Operations & General Manager of the North Carolina Symphony.
“I am delighted to welcome Scott Freck to this senior position in our Leadership Team,” said President and CEO David Fisk. “Scott brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the CSO, and he will be a great addition to our organization. His training as a musician is an advantage in his new role, as is his deep familiarity with North Carolina. Having already worked with other orchestras of our size in a leadership capacity, he’ll be able to step right in and hit the ground running, at the start of our new season.”
"I am positively thrilled to be joining Kwamé Ryan, David Fisk, the musicians of the orchestra, and the rest of the Charlotte Symphony team as they uplift and entertain the people who call the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region home,” said Scott Freck. “Their authentic, community-focused approach to bringing music into the lives of so many was evident from our first conversations, and I'm honored to be able to bring my professional experience and deep passion for our mutual work to the table. This is an organization with tremendous energy, a clear vision, and a strong future filled with connection and growth, and I can't wait to begin this next chapter together."
Since July 2023, Scott Freck has been Principal of Freck & Co. Arts Consulting, a small business helping nonprofit arts organizations in a variety of key service areas. Prior to starting his company, he served as Executive Director of the Eugene Symphony Association in Eugene OR, one of America’s preeminent regional orchestras, from June 2012 to June 2023. Previously he was Vice President for Artistic Operations & General Manager of the North Carolina Symphony, based in Raleigh, from November 2000 to May 2012. He began his career in professional orchestra management at the Oregon Symphony, in his hometown of Portland, in September 1991.
As an amateur musician, Freck is the product of the public school system in Oregon. He played cello at a student (and occasionally semi-professional) level for 12 years, and also fumbled through the piano parts in his high-school jazz band. He was a member of the Portland Youth Philharmonic, the country’s oldest youth orchestra, for four years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington as well as a certificate in Strategic Management.
Freck was a member of the Board of Directors of the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon, which seeks to increase state funding for the arts and culture sector, for ten years, and also for Travel Lane County, a destination marketing organization in Oregon’s southern Willamette Valley, for four years. Scott has two children, Elena (24), who works at St. Ann’s Warehouse, a nonprofit theatre company in Brooklyn NY, and Allison (21), who attends the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma WA.
One of the premier music organizations in the Southeastern United States and the oldest operating symphony orchestra in the Carolinas, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO) connects with more than 130,000 music lovers each year through its lively season of concerts, broadcasts, community events, and robust educational programs. The CSO is committed to its mission of uplifting, entertaining, and educating the diverse communities of Charlotte Mecklenburg and beyond through exceptional musical experiences. The CSO employs 65 professional full-time orchestra musicians, fosters four youth orchestras, and offers significant educational support aimed at serving the under-resourced areas of our community. Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony plays a leading cultural role in the Charlotte area and serves the community as a civic leader, reflecting and uniting our region through the transformative power of live music.
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