Announcement from the Asheville Symphony Orchestra:
The Asheville Symphony Orchestra (ASO) has announced that David Whitehill will remain Executive Director of the organization and will not step down as previously announced.
The ASO announced in March that David was leaving this summer for the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. After he withdrew from that position, the ASO Board of Directors met to confirm his continuing leadership.
“Based on his experience and understanding of the organization, the Asheville Symphony Board believes that David is the best person to continue to lead the Asheville Symphony,” said Bolling Farmer, the ASO Board President. “David will focus on how to move forward and we will work together to determine what the organization will look like now and in the future and carry that vision forward.”
The ASO has cancelled the remainder of its 2019-20 season, as did most orchestras across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ASO is still active, however, with initiatives that include:
- The orchestra’s first virtual orchestral performance, “A Musical Love Letter to Asheville” on YouTube, which has more than 10,000 views on YouTube
- Musical trivia nights on Facebook hosted by ASO Music Director Darko Buturac in a collaboration with the Tallahassee Symphony
- The ASO IDEASOUND recording catalog available on 150 digital streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. At more than 50,000 monthly listeners, the ASO is one of the most-streamed orchestras in the country. “Be Still Moses,” the ASO’s collaboration with Steep Canyon Rangers, recently hit No. 1 on the Billboard Bluegrass record chart.
“The magnitude of issues over the next several months will be significant and I feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for how the Asheville Symphony navigates through these challenges,” David said. “Although we cannot be sure when we will return to our concert hall, we will use this time to explore new and different connections to the community. I believe we will not only outlast this but emerge as a stronger organization.”
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