Twin Cities native Isaac Thompson, currently president and CEO of the Oregon Symphony, has been appointed the Minnesota Orchestra’s president and CEO, the symphony announced Friday.
Isaac Thompson will begin his new role on Oct. 14, 2025. (Courtesy of the Minnesota Orchestra)
“It is a great pleasure to welcome Isaac back to his ‘home’ orchestra as its new administrative leader,” said board chair Nancy Lindahl in a news release. “We were drawn to Isaac’s vision for what an orchestra can mean to its community when it knits together artistic, social and civic connections with real impact. He comes to this role with an impressive background encompassing creative collaborations with orchestra musicians and artistic leaders, significant experience securing private and public support, an understanding of how to truly strengthen community connections and a bold, entrepreneurial spirit — not to mention a deep-seated love for the Minnesota Orchestra.”
Thompson succeeds interim president and CEO Brent Assink, who began serving in that role in September following the departure of Michelle Miller Burns, who took the top administrative role with the Dallas Symphony. Thompson will begin his new role on Oct. 14.
Thompson played in the Minnesota Youth Symphonies and studied violin with Nancy Lokken and former Minnesota Orchestra Concertmaster Jorja Fleezanis in high school. He received a bachelor of music in violin performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a master’s from the University of Texas at Austin.
He worked for the Milwaukee Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony and the New York Philharmonic before joining the Oregon Symphony. Thompson serves on the boards of the League of American Orchestras and Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media.
“The opportunity to return to Minnesota to lead my hometown orchestra at this moment is deeply meaningful,” Thompson said. “Many of my formative musical experiences occurred at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, and I credit my knowledge of and love for the symphonic repertoire to the Minnesota Orchestra.”
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