New Leadership at the New York Philharmonic: Matías Tarnopolsky to Take Helm

The New York Philharmonic has announced the appointment of Matías Tarnopolsky as its new president and CEO, effective January 1. Tarnopolsky joins the Philharmonic after four successful years as president of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and his selection has been bolstered by a longstanding friendship with the newly appointed music director, Gustavo Dudamel.

The announcement was made on Monday, and Tarnopolsky, who is 54 and holds citizenship in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina, steps into this role following Gary Ginstling’s departure in July, which occurred just a year into his tenure.

Peter W. May, co-chairman of the Philharmonic, commented on the significance of Tarnopolsky’s close rapport with Dudamel, stating, “He’s done a really wonderful job with Philadelphia, and one of the most important issues was that he has a very close relationship with Gustavo Dudamel. That was really the most important factor for us.”

Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tarnopolsky’s early musical education included playing the clarinet, along with earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music and musicology from King’s College, London. He recalled an impactful experience listening to Leonard Bernstein conduct Mahler’s Fifth Symphony with the Vienna Philharmonic at the 1987 BBC Proms, which left a lasting impression on him.

Tarnopolsky’s professional journey includes a stint as an assistant publication editor at the BBC Proms between 1994-1996, followed by producing for the BBC Symphony Orchestra until 1999. He then took on a role as senior director of programming for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. From December 2005 to August 2009, he served as vice president of artistic planning for the New York Philharmonic before becoming executive director of Cal Performances at Berkeley for nine years. Later, in August 2018, he arrived at the Philadelphia Orchestra where he continued to foster relationships, including one with Dudamel, who led the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra.

Reflecting on his past experiences, Tarnopolsky mentioned, “This is a full circle moment because in a funny way this started when I used to work at the New York Philharmonic and I went to visit a conductor called Gustavo Dudamel in his home country of Venezuela.” He expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to lead the Philharmonic, a journey that began nearly two decades ago.

Gary Ginstling had previously transitioned to the New York Philharmonic from Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra, aiming to succeed Deborah Borda as CEO, but his resignation, announced on July 11, revealed a mismatch in expectations.

May remarked on the differences, stating, “Frankly, it just wasn’t a good fit from both Gary’s perspective and our perspective. Matías clearly had significantly more experience than Gary has had in terms of leading one of the top orchestras in the country, and we’re quite confident that this is the right guy for the job.”

Co-chairman Oscar L. Tang emphasized the synergy between Tarnopolsky and Dudamel, highlighting their shared vision. “Gustavo says that he feels classical music is a human right, and he wants to view classical music as a force for social development and social good,” Tang detailed, underlining aspirations to broaden the Philharmonic’s role in the civic and cultural fabric of New York City and beyond.

The search process for the new CEO was facilitated by the Aspen Leadership Group, which worked alongside a search committee to evaluate a diverse array of candidates.

Borda remarked on the timing of Tarnopolsky’s appointment, noting, “This is just the right appointment at just the right time,” as she continues to support the orchestra in her advisory role to the CEO and board. The Philharmonic recently returned to a renovated Geffen Hall in October 2022, welcomed Dudamel on board shortly thereafter, forged a new labor agreement with its musicians, and dealt with recent fallout regarding personnel conduct issues.

Tarnopolsky expressed his commitment to enhancing the Philharmonic’s place within the modern cultural landscape, reflecting, “Here’s a chance that comes along maybe once in a lifetime to author a completely new chapter for a great musical institution. The commitment here is to rededicate ourselves to ensuring the philharmonic’s place in the civic, cultural, musical, educational life of contemporary New York.”

Meanwhile, Ryan Fleur will step in as the interim president for the Philadelphia Orchestra beginning January 1, having held a similar interim position in 2018 during a period of transition.