BOSTON — Gail Samuel, Eunice and Julian Cohen President and CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, in January announced the appointment of two new executive leaders Maureen Flores, as chief development officer, and Asadour Santourian, as vice president, Tanglewood Music Center & Learning. Both appointments are effective January 2022.
Flores is arriving at the BSO from Bentley University, where she most recently served as vice president for advancement. Flores will lead the BSO’s philanthropic efforts, fostering an ethos of partnership among board and staff on all development initiatives. Through collaboration across the organization, Flores will conceptualize, organize, and implement a comprehensive and strategic fundraising program in support of the BSO’s mission and vision for the future.
Santourian is joining the BSO from the acclaimed Aspen Music Festival and School, where he served for 18 years as vice president for artistic administration and artistic advisor. At the BSO, Santourian will leverage his deep experience mentoring artists to the BSO’s programs in support of the next generation of musicians. Leading all of the BSO’s training, education, and community programs, Santourian will focus on expanding broader representation through wide-ranging partnerships and collaborations.
“I am thrilled to welcome Maureen and Asadour to the BSO executive team. They each bring a wealth of experience to the organization as we seek to expand the orchestra’s relevance and impact in our community and beyond,” said Samuel. “Maureen and Asadour are proven leaders with demonstrated talent and deep expertise in their respective fields, and they join the passionate BSO staff, dedicated to the orchestra’s future.”
At the Aspen Music Festival and School, Santourian developed the season themes and other artistic initiatives, including the Overtures series and the thematic minifestivals. In his time, the AMFS garnered seven ASCAP Awards for Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music. Previously artistic director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam, he is a member of the recommendation board of the Avery Fisher Career Grants among others and has served on numerous competition jury panels. He is a regular lecturer for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and was a featured lecturer for its 2012 Mahler Project. From 1991 to 2000 he was the Minnesota Orchestra’s director of artistic planning.
