Artburst Extras
New World Symphony President and CEO Retiring, Search Underway for Replacement
New World Symphony President and Chief Executive Officer Howard Herring will retire on June 30, 2026. Appointed in 2001, Herring will have served in the role for over 25 of the institution’s 38 years. (Photo courtesy of New World Symphony)
Howard Herring was part of the taskforce alongside New World Symphony Co-Founder and Artistic Director Laureate Michael Tilson Thomas to create an orchestral academy program and facility that would end up being one of the most influential programs for classical musicians and a facility that would become a jewel of Miami Beach.
Herring, who was appointed to NWS in 2001, will retire on June 30 after serving as President and CEO for over 25 of the institution’s 38 years. A search is underway for his replacement and is being led by the New World Symphony’s board of trustees.
“Our alumni, numbering 1,330, are making a difference in the orchestras, ensembles, faculties and communities where they live and work,” said Herring in a prepared statement. “We can be proud of our accomplishments as educators and dreamers who have envisioned a world where classical music speaks broadly through exceptional performance and through digital and community initiatives that have democratized our artform.”
The institutional program ultimately inspired and informed Frank Gehry’s design for the New World Center. The campus opened on time in January 2011 and within its original $167 million budget.
“Loving Miami as I do, I am glad we could introduce the New World Center’s architecture of invitation and inclusion through all our work across this community and beyond,” said Herring.
While president and CEO, more than 900 NWS Fellows have been part of the New World Symphony fellowship program and now serve as global ambassadors for the artform.
Additional highlights of Herring’s tenure include the appointment of Stéphane Denève as the organization’s second Artistic Director, the creation of the Knight New Media Center and launch of NWS Media, the development of new concert formats, steady leadership during the global pandemic, and, most recently, the successful completion of a $150 million endowment campaign.
“Since 2001, Howard’s odyssey at the helm of the New World Symphony has produced not only a formidable physical space—our unique New World Center—but also the creative space to permanently reinvent the future of our artform, through a myriad of meaningful performances and initiatives sustained and inspired by his extraordinary leadership,” said Denève.
A native of Oklahoma, Herring was previously the Executive Director of the Caramoor Music Festival for 15 years. A pianist by training, he holds degrees from Southern Methodist University and Manhattan School of Music (MSM). In 2015, MSM awarded Herring an Honorary Doctorate degree.
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