Alexandria, VA— George Hanson, the Director of two Music Festivals and an experienced musician and manager will be the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra’s new Executive Director.
Hanson has directed the Tucson Desert Song Festival, a collaborative endeavor among performing arts groups in the Tucson area since 2015. He is also the Director of the Sunriver Music Festival in Bend, Oregon. Hanson’s career includes 20 years with the Tucson Symphony; work with such U.S. orchestras as Atlanta, Charlotte, Indianapolis and Phoenix; and six seasons at the Wuppertal Opera and Orchestra in Germany, as well as other musical activities throughout the U.S. and around the world. An attendee of the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona Graduate School, he received his Master of Music from Indiana University.
“George brings with him a truly unique portfolio of varied experiences moving orchestras forward from multiple angles and directions,” said ASO Music Director music, a mean golfer and a creative thought partner who will help raise the intensity of the ASO’s vibrant connection to the city and its music lovers. With George on board, the breadth and depth of our impact can now blossom.”
“We have found an Executive Director who will complement our Music Director and who will reach out into the Alexandria community in the same collaborative way he did in Tucson” said ASO President Anne Best Rector. “George’s wide range of experience and his expansive background provide the ASO with new expertise and exciting possibilities. Our Board of Trustees could not be more pleased.”
Hanson arrives at the ASO just as it completes its energetic and successful 75th anniversary season and its first season under Maestro Jim Ross.
“I am thrilled to be joining this outstanding organization,” said Hanson. “The ASO is on solid financial ground, poised for growth. Music Director Jim Ross is an outstanding conductor and musician, and I look forward to sharing and supporting his artistic vision. My wife and sons look forward to becoming part of the Alexandria community.”
Subscriptions for the ASO’s 2019-2020 season are now on sale and can be purchased by calling 703-548-0885 or by visiting www.alexsym.org. Please consider the ASO’s outdoor pops concert at the Alexandria Birthday Celebration on Saturday, July 13, 2019 at Oronoco Bay Park.
