Anne Parsons
(1958-2022)
Anne Parsons was president and chief executive of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 2004-2021. She led the orchestra through a six-month strike that threatened its existence and strengthened it for future generations. To raise the DSO’s profile, Parsons recruited revered conductor, Leonard Slatkin, director of the National Symphony Orchestra.
She implemented modern programming with special guests to expand the reach of the DSO. Her goal was to make the Detroit Symphony Orchestra the “most accessible orchestra on the planet.” In that effort, she implemented a streaming service of DSO concerts (one of the first orchestras to do so), planned DSO concerts throughout Metro Detroit, and oversaw a program to expand music education in the region by having orchestra players perform at public schools. During her tenure, the orchestra emerged from a financial deficit to a surplus.