Peter H. Gistelinck Named New Executive Director of Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Peter H. Gistelinck as its new Executive Director, effective May 19, 2014. Mr. Gistelinck was unanimously approved by the KSO Board following a six-month nationwide candidate search process led by Arts Consulting Group, Inc.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have Peter join us here in Kalamazoo," said Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Board President Doug Phillips. "Peter brings the right mix of artistic and administrative experience, with a perfect blend of tradition and innovation. He'll be a wonderful addition to our community. We can't wait to see where he'll take the KSO!"

"I am absolutely honored to have been chosen as the next leader of the well renowned Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra," said Peter H. Gistelinck. "This orchestra, because of its diverse programming, great artistic leadership, nationally praised educational programs and great community impact, has it all to become one of the leading national orchestras. I am very happy to have been given the opportunity to take them there."

"I am excited to welcome Peter Gistelinck to the Kalamazoo Symphony family," said Raymond Harvey, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Music Director. "He comes to us with a wealth of experience in arts administration, a treasure chest of creative ideas, and a deep love of music. I know I will enjoy working closely with him to steer the KSO onward as we approach our 100th anniversary. This is a great time for music in Kalamazoo!"

Mr. Gistelinck will leave his current position serving as Executive Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia where he has successfully led the orchestra's daily operations since 2006. His many successes included the hiring of current Music Director Dirk Brossé, partnerships with the prestigious Van Cliburn and Queen Elisabeth Music Competitions, and an agreement with Naxos making fifteen seasons of MP3s and HD video recordings of Chamber Orchestra concerts available for streaming and download - currently resulting in more than 76,000 'paid for' download and streaming activity annually out of 52 countries - which also led to a collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, allowing hospital patients to stream archived live concert recordings through the 'Get-Well-Network', an interactive patient education system available in their rooms.

Prior, he was Co-Artistic Director and Director of Sales, Marketing & Special Projects of the Brussels Philharmonic & Flemish Radio Choir in his native Belgium. He had previously been General Manager of Business Affairs for Le Concert Spirituel, the famous Paris-based Baroque orchestra; General Manager of Belgium's I Fiamminghi Chamber Orchestra; and consultant to the wind ensemble I Solisti del Vento.

Mr. Gistelinck is a seasoned veteran in the music industry, a composer, music producer and arranger. The son of Flemish classical music and jazz composer Elias Gistelinck, Mr. Gistelinck holds degrees in music theory & history, composition, orchestrating & arranging from the Royal Music Conservatory in Ghent, Belgium and a master's degree in musicology from State University in Ghent, Belgium.

A recipient of numerous industry related awards and achievements abroad, including the SABAM/BAP Award for Best Belgian Composition in both 1987 and 1990, he received a Grammy Nomination Award representing "Best Small Ensemble Performance" of Le Concert Spirituel in 2002. In 2011, he was on hand at The Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre to receive The Ted and Stevie Wolf Award for New Approaches to Collaborations that went to Robert Smythe and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia for their production of Igor Stravinsky's l'Histoire du Soldat at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Additionally, he serves on several boards and committees of national and international professional organizations including the World Soundtrack Academy, International Society of Performing Arts, American Film Institute, National Academy for Recording Arts & Sciences - The Recording Academy, International Academy of Jazz, and Belgian Author Rights Organization. He served as professor of composition, arranging and orchestrating at the Royal Music Conservatory in Antwerp, Belgium and has lectured at Towson University, Peabody School of Music at Johns Hopkins University, Drexel University, Pennsylvania University and Curtis Institute of Music.

He and his wife, Kim Bloom, are the proud parents of their seven-year-old daughter, Renée Jolie, who studies piano and violin.