The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Hires Don Nelson as General Manager

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is very excited to announce that Don Nelson has been hired as general manager.

Mr. Nelson comes to the BPO from Spokane, Washington. There, he served as general manager of the Spokane Symphony for 14 years and the general manager of the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox for six years. The positions saw him tackle responsibilities as diverse as developing the season's programming, negotiating musician contracts, and serving on the theater's renovation and design team.

Prior to his position in Spokane, he was with the Florida Philharmonic, first as a bassist, and then as the orchestra's personnel manager and as festival manager. He holds a bachelor's degree in music from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a master's degree in non-profit management from Regis University.

"Don's extensive experience as a musician and in orchestra and theater management make him a perfect fit for the BPO at this time. His musical knowledge is quite impressive. As the BPO looks to the next phase of its strategic plan, we are counting on Don to play a major role in our ongoing success," said BPO Executive Director Daniel Hart.

Don, who arrived in Buffalo at the end of August, will be joined by his wife Vicki. They have two sons. Noah, a musician, lives in London with his wife Anna. Alex recently began medical school at Florida International University in Miami. Nelson enjoys skiing, lifelong learning and reading, and arranging music for cello and bass to perform with Vicki, who is an accomplished professional cellist.

Photo Courtesy of The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra