President’s Message

Deborah Stapley-Graham

The excitement of the opening of our new season is somewhat diminished by our observation of the end of an era, as Jo May Salonen steps back from her position as Executive Director of the Missoula Symphony Association. Jo May served as the interim ED for nearly a year before accepting the position on a permanent basis. She came into the job with ambitious plans and the necessary energy to put her ideas into action.

Her first task was monumental. She led the search for a new musical director that culminated in the hiring of our current, dear conductor, Julia Tai. Following that coup, Jo May established new programs that brought sponsors, donors, and supporters into the MSA’s inner circle with events such as Back Stage Pass luncheons and our “Some Enchanted Evening” banquet. She helped develop delightful family concerts and library miniconcerts that introduce our youngest Missoulians, and future members of our Symphony audience, to the wonders of orchestral music. Jo May extended this outreach by designating the orchestra’s Friday night dress rehearsals as Student Night at Dress Rehearsal, inviting young musicians to listen and to witness the creative process that goes into our concerts.

In early 2020, barely a year into Jo May’s tenure, the world changed forever. Plans were made and canceled and made and canceled. We didn’t leave our homes for weeks. There was no template for what was happening, no end date on the calendar to tell us when “normal” would return. Yet, while other symphony orchestras around the globe shuttered their concert halls, the Missoula Symphony carried on. Jo May, with her hallmark ambition and energy, backed by a solid broadcasting background, devised a streaming option that enabled our concerts to take place in an environment that was safe for our musicians while we enjoyed them, hunkered down safely at home. The MSA certainly had the right person in the right job at the right time, a fact for which we are grateful.

Jo May, we will miss you. We appreciate the strides you took toward making the MSA a successful organization, against unimaginable obstacles. We admire your tenacity to work through tough situations and are proud of your leadership. We’ll miss your creativity and your sense of humor. At a crucial time in our history, you kept the music playing. It meant so much. Thank you.

We all wish you a happy and healthy journey as you embark on new adventures with your family.

Deborah Stapley-Graham President

THANK YOU

KIRK TREECE WITH FISH WINDOW CLEANING

FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE MISSOULA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & CHORALE!