The Pacific Chorale has announced the appointment of Andrew Brown as its new president and chief executive officer, replacing Elizabeth Pearson, who left earlier this year.
Thomas Pridonoff, Pacific Chorale’s Board Chair, said, “We could not be more excited to welcome Andrew to the Pacific Chorale family. He comes to us with the perfect combination of vision, experience, and proven accomplishment, and we can’t wait to see where he and Rob Istad will take the Chorale in the coming years.”
Prior to joining the Chorale, Brown spent 17 years with the Los Angeles Master Chorale where he started as an administrative assistant and eventually became the chief operating officer.
His highlights at the Master Chorale include helping the organization transition to a fully professional ensemble. He also served as executive producer for several of the Master Chorale’s most recent media and recording projects, including “Festival of Carols,” the ensemble’s first self-produced album, on its own label. Most recently, he facilitated the Master Chorale’s appearance as the featured chorus on John Williams’ score of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
Artistic Director Robert Istad said, “Andrew has been a valued colleague in the choral field for years, so I can’t wait to work with him here at Pacific Chorale. He will be a tremendous leader to carry our 50-year legacy in this community forward into a bright future.”
Brown said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be taking on this leadership role with the Pacific Chorale, an institution with a rich Southern California legacy and recognized for its leadership in the national choral community.” He added, “I am most looking forward to partnering with Artistic Director Rob Istad to make his broadminded artistic vision a reality. Rob brings such vitality, creativity and artistry to an ensemble built on an already solid musical foundation. I know we will make a great team and I am eager to work with Rob, the board, staff and musicians to endeavor to make the Pacific Chorale one of the best-kept secrets of Orange County.”
Brown holds a master of arts in Arts Management, a masters of business administration from the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana.
Heide Janssen is the managing editor of Arts & Culture for Voice of OC. She can be reached at hjanssen@voiceofoc.org.