The Rogue Valley Symphony Association (RVS), a 59-year-old regional professional orchestra serving Southern Oregon, seeks a full-time Executive Director to lead the organization’s next phase of growth and community impact. Working in close partnership with the Music Director and Board of Directors, the Executive Director serves as the Symphony’s chief executive, responsible for strategic leadership, financial sustainability, and deepening the Symphony’s role as a cornerstone cultural institution in the region.
RVS presents a full season of Masterworks, Pops, and Holiday concerts across Ashland, Medford, and Grants Pass, and serves more than 4,000 students annually through robust education programs. The organization operates with an annual budget of approximately $1.6 million, a $4 million endowment, and no debt.
The Executive Director will work in close partnership with Music Director Martin Majkut, an accomplished and dynamic conductor known for his artistic leadership and community engagement. Together, the Executive Director and Music Director form the organization’s core leadership team, requiring a high level of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared commitment to artistic excellence and organizational growth.
This is a visible, community-facing leadership role suited for a relationship builder who can balance strategic vision with hands-on execution in a collaborative, small-team environment.
Salary: $90,000–$110,000, with flexibility for exceptional candidates
Benefits: Health stipend, SIMPLE IRA match, paid leave
Relocation assistance may be available
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership and Strategy
-Provide overall leadership and direction for the Symphony
- Partner with the Music Director and Board on strategic planning
- Foster a high-performing, positive organizational culture
Fundraising and Revenue Development
- Lead contributed revenue strategy and major donor relationships
- Expand philanthropic and earned revenue streams
- Build a culture of philanthropy with Board engagement
Financial and Operational Management
- Develop and manage the annual budget
- Oversee staff, operations, and concert logistics
- Ensure long-term financial health
Community and External Relations
- Serve as a public ambassador for the Symphony
- Build relationships with donors, civic leaders, and partners
- Strengthen visibility and community impact
Artistic Partnership
- Collaborate with the Music Director on programming within budget
- Build a strong working partnership with the Music Director
- Ensure successful execution of concerts and education programs
QUALIFICATIONS
- 5+ years of senior leadership experience
- Demonstrated success in fundraising or revenue growth
- Strong financial and organizational skills
- Proven ability to lead teams and build relationships
- Excellent communication skills and public presence
- Appreciation for orchestral music
ABOUT ASHLAND AND THE ROGUE VALLEY
Ashland offers a unique blend of cultural vibrancy and natural beauty. Home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the region attracts those seeking a high quality of life, strong arts community, and outdoor access.
Residents enjoy hiking, biking, skiing, rivers, and wineries, along with a relaxed pace of life and minimal congestion. The Rogue Valley is served by a regional airport with direct flights to major West Coast cities, making it an exceptional place to live and work.
The Rogue Valley Symphony has had the pleasure of performing in Southern Oregon since 1967, when we had one venue in the Medford Mid-High School auditorium and 55 players. Now with more than 70 players and three venues in Ashland, Medford, and Grants Pass, the Rogue Valley Symphony embarks on our season this fall with passion, anticipation, and a thrill for the music.
History
RVS was founded in 1967 by Frederick Palmer, an assistant professor of music at Southern Oregon College. Dr. Palmer had been locating, recruiting and organizing musicians in the Rogue Valley for around two years prior to the first concert which occurred on November 16,1967 at Medford’s Mid-High School auditorium. The orchestra began with some 55 players and an initial budget for the first year of $4500. The RVS has been beloved ever since.
For the first few years, the orchestra played four concerts each season, with two performances of each concert rotating among Ashland, Medford and Grants Pass venues. In 1987, under the baton of Arthur Shaw, the orchestra started offering five concert series consisting of three performances in the three communities. Maestro Shaw also began offering holiday candlel...ight performances in local churches and RVS’ first educational programs: a free Saturday morning Discovery Concert featuring a “petting zoo” of instruments, and the Chamber Players program where five professional musicians traveled to local elementary schools in Jackson, Josephine, Klamath and Siskiyou Counties.
Dr. Martin Majkut was hired in 2010. During his tenure the RVS has more than doubled its annual budget, expanded to six Masterworks series in Ashland, Medford and Grants Pass, initiated the Link-Up education program to bring music education to three grades of children in the Phoenix-Talent school district, and begun the Classical Coaches program which offers professional coaching at the middle and high school levels to augment music education in local public schools. Musical Mentors was added in 2019 to meet the growing need of providing private lessons to students in the region at no charge. In the last several years RVS has been recognized nationally for its innovative programming and commissioning of new artistic works and most recently honored by Ovation TV for resilience during the pandemic and Almeda Fire.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the Rogue Valley Symphony operates on lands stewarded by the Shasta, Takelma, Modoc, Latgawa, and Tolowa Dee-ni’ peoples since time immemorial. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, the peoples of western Oregon, southwest Washington, and northern California were forcibly removed to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation. Most of the living descendants of these peoples are now citizens of The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians, The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, or The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, and work to this day to revive their cultures and communities taken by colonialism.
We call on our audience to learn about the land on which you reside and if you are a large landowner, consider what you can do to give back to and support those whose ancestors stewarded the land prior to colonialism. Check our our list of resources to learn more about these nations and how you can help.
The Rogue Valley Symphony hopes to partner further with the original stewards of the land we use to uplift their voices. Help us by donating directly to the nations via their websites, buying from Native artisans, and learning history through the eyes of those who were here before you.
OUR MISSION
To inspire our audiences and enrich our communities through the live performance of orchestral music.
OUR VISION
To offer access to world class musical experiences and learning opportunities for all.
OUR VALUES
Excellence: We strive to achieve the highest quality in all we do.
Creativity: We nurture creativity by encouraging innovation.
Collegiality: We promote an ethical, diverse and inclusive work space with open communication and respectful relationships.
Education: We support learning at all stages of life.
Organizational Sustainability: As respectful stewards of the assets in our care, we make knowledgeable, responsible decisions mindful of the future of the organization.
Our intrepid conductor, Martin Majkut has served as Music Director of the Rogue Valley Symphony in Southern Oregon since 2010. The RVS has experienced a remarkable growth under his leadership and is enjoying an unprecedented level of support and enthusiasm in the community.
