Minnesota Orchestra names former SPCO president as interim CEO

An interim president and CEO at the Minnesota Orchestra has been named.

Brent Assink, the former executive director of the San Francisco Symphony and former president of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra , will assume the role as Michelle Miller Burns steps away.

Burns, who has been with the organization since 2018, is leaving in September to take the reins at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Assink will begin on Sept. 9, splitting time between Minnesota and his home in California.

"Brent Assink is one of the great leaders of the orchestral industry," Minnesota Orchestra Board Chair Nancy Lindahl said in a statement. "Having such a respected and experienced hand on the wheel during this time of transition will serve the Minnesota Orchestra well."

Assink began his career with the SPCO, rising to become the general manager, a position he later held with the San Francisco Symphony. He returned to the SPCO in 1994 to serve as its president until 1999.

That was followed by another stint in San Francisco, where he was the symphony's executive director, working alongside heralded former Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas.

“Two strands have been consistently present throughout my career: a deep appreciation for orchestras and particular gratitude for the Twin Cities community where I was shaped and mentored,” Assink said in a statement. “So, it is a joy to return to Minnesota and serve this outstanding orchestra at a pivotal time in its history.”

Assink return takes place as Music Director Thomas Søndergård begins his second season with the orchestra. The season will feature a two-week Nordic Festival in January, the return of the Future Classics concert, and performances of Puccini's Turandot.

A search for a permanent successor to Miller is underway.

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