Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Appoints Devin McGranahan as New Board Chair

PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's Board of Trustees has unanimously elected Devin McGranahan as Chair of the Board, succeeding Richard P. Simmons. McGranahan's appointment will become effective September 21, 2015, at the Pittsburgh Symphony's Annual Meeting. The Board also honored Simmons, naming him Board Chair Emeritus.

"I am sincerely honored and humbled to have been elected to this position," said McGranahan. "Working alongside the Pittsburgh Symphony's leadership team and my colleagues on the board, I am committed to the continued health and success of one of our city's finest assets-the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. I am also delighted that, in recognition of his truly exceptional service, we have named Dick Simmons Board Chair Emeritus."

McGranahan is a Director of McKinsey & Co., a premier international consulting firm (http://www.mckinsey.com/client_service/financial_services/profiles/devin_mcgranahan). He serves as the leader of its North American Insurance Practice and as co-chair of its Principal Review Committee, its global senior partner election body. The latter position reflects not only the high respect that his colleagues place in McGranahan's leadership and analytical capabilities but also the trust they place in him. In his work with the Pittsburgh Symphony, he has served as chair of its Strategic Planning Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee. He also served on the CEO Search Committee.

Simmons' role as board chair began 26 years ago. He has been a tireless champion of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Having served as board chair since 1989, Simmons observed, "I have been thinking for a long time about my tenure as board chair. The Pittsburgh Symphony-with Melia Tourangeau on board as the new CEO and the significant progress made toward a balanced budget-is gaining additional momentum. It is the perfect time for me to pass the gavel to a new board chair. I can think of no finer choice than Devin McGranahan."

"Devin has all the requisite skills and experience to effectively lead our Board and to team with our new CEO to implement our strategic plan, which he has been so instrumental in creating-moving the Pittsburgh Symphony as an organization to the next level," said Tom Todd, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra trustee and chair of the board's Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.

Melia Peters Tourangeau, President & CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, said, "Dick Simmons and the Board have charted an amazing journey for the Pittsburgh Symphony through the years. I am very much looking forward to further advancing the vision of the Board with Devin McGranahan's leadership."

In addition to his deep involvement with key Pittsburgh Symphony initiatives, the Board also cited McGranahan's commitment to maintaining the Pittsburgh Symphony's artistic excellence and international reputation, as well as building a stronger and more vital presence in the community. At the same time, the Board pointed out, he is committed to building the financial strength of the organization.

"We will always be so grateful for Dick Simmons' love of, and belief in, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra," reflected Music Director Manfred Honeck. "Our musicians inspired him-and he, in turn, has inspired all of us with his passion and generosity. I welcome Devin McGranahan as the new Chair of the Board, knowing that he will carry Dick's legacy into the future."

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, known for its artistic excellence for more than 120 years, is credited with a rich history of the world's finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), Andre Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1995-2004). This tradition of outstanding international music directors was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The orchestra has been at the forefront of championing new American works, and gave the first performance of Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah" in 1944 and John Adams' "Short Ride in a Fast Machine" in 1986. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and radio concerts. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony broadcast on the airwaves coast-to-coast and in the late 1970s it made the ground breaking PBS series "Previn and the Pittsburgh." The orchestra has received increased national attention since 1982 through network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900-including 36 international tours to Europe, the Far East and South America-the Pittsburgh Symphony continues to be critically acclaimed as one of the world's greatest orchestras.