Jessica Mallow Gulley is the next president and managing director of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the orchestra announced Tuesday.
Mallow Gulley will start her new position on Oct. 13. She replaces Jon Limbacher, who announced his retirement at the end of 2024. Limbacher will remain as an advisor to the orchestra through December.
“I am truly honored and excited to join the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and to help shape its next era,” Mallow Gulley said in a news release. “Together with the extraordinary musicians, dedicated staff, visionary board and vibrant community, we will imagine the next chapter of this remarkable organization — one that deepens engagement, expands accessibility and embraces creativity at every level.”
Mallow Gulley comes to St. Paul from Michigan, where she has led the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra since 2019.
Under her leadership, the KSO achieved its first balanced budget in more than a decade, expanded audiences by nearly 80 percent and grew ticket revenue by 190 percent. She introduced the Sound Waves Series, a platform for community collaboration and returned opera to Kalamazoo with a staging of “Tosca.” She also facilitated performances and residencies with world-renowned artists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax and Branford Marsalis.
Previously, Mallow Gulley held leadership roles at the Jacksonville Symphony, Washington Performing Arts and Orchestra Iowa. She holds a master’s in arts management from American University.
The appointment follows a nine month national search led by a committee made up of board members, musicians and staff.
“Jessica has a winning personality, an infectious enthusiasm and a genuine love for the SPCO,” said violinist and member of the search committee Nina Tso-Ning Fan. “I am confident that her leadership will bring renewed vigor and excitement to the organization and to the Arts Partnership.”
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