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Charlotte Symphony names new CEO. He wants to lift people’s spirits through music.

By Sonia Rao, The Charlotte Observer 

The Charlotte Symphony announced on Wednesday it has chosen David Fisk, who currently serves as executive director of the Richmond Symphony in Virginia, to be its new president and CEO.

Fisk brings decades of experience, from the South and from overseas, to the position. He has been with the Richmond Symphony for 18 years. Prior to that, he served as chief executive of the Ulster Orchestra, the national symphony of Northern Ireland.

Fisk starts the new job on Aug. 31, replacing Mary Dreissler, who served as the symphony's president and CEO from June 2019 to August 2019. Michelle Hamilton has been serving as interim CEO.

Fisk said when he saw the open position in Charlotte, he knew the city would be a good fit. He said he was drawn to the reputation of the Charlotte Symphony, and the investment the symphony makes in its musicians.

"For someone like me who is a musician by background, the chance to run a larger orchestra, which has made that commitment in the particular time to invest in artistic quality and to community engagement, that's a really attractive element," he said.

Fisk said he got his start in music when he was 8 years old, as a singer in a choir at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. He has a degree in music from Manchester University and a postgraduate degree in piano accompaniment from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. He still plays the piano.

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