Vincent Ciccarello to step down as ASO managing director
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra managing director Vincent Ciccarello has announced he will step down after almost 10 years in the role, saying the time is right for someone new to “bring fresh ideas and energy to the organisation”.
ASO chair Andrew Daniels with departing managing director Vincent Ciccarello.
He will finish up with the ASO at the end of September, with a statement from the orchestra saying he intends to “pursue new opportunities”.
Ciccarello said highlights of his time with the orchestra included its tour of China and South Korea in 2019 and last year’s Festival of Orchestra – a series of six outdoor sunset concerts presented on the main arena at Adelaide Showground.
“I am immensely proud of all that we have built and the way the ASO has continued to evolve and progress,” he said.
“After nearly a decade in the role, I believe it’s the right time for someone new to continue that trajectory and to bring fresh ideas and energy to the organisation.
“It has been a privilege and a thoroughly exciting journey. I come away from my time here with countless memories and strong, meaningful relationships.”
Ciccarello, who studied piano and musicology at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, has held a range of arts administration and management roles in his career, and also spent a couple of years working as a journalist. He was appointed managing director of the ASO in 2013.
ASO chair Andrew Daniels said Ciccarello’s leadership had been characterised by his ability to “innovate and inspire, and the incredible community he has built around the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra”.
“He has helped redefine the ASO’s role in the wider cultural, social and economic fabric of South Australia, and positioned it well for the future.”
During his tenure Ciccarello has also been a strong advocate for a purpose-built concert hall in Adelaide, arguing that as well as being “a high-quality auditorium for classical and orchestral music”, it could provide music education and become a home of music in South Australia.
The announcement of his departure comes just days after State Opera South Australia announced that its artistic director, Stuart Maunder, will leave in mid-2023 to take up a new role with Victorian Opera. State Opera’s executive director, Yarmila Alfonzetti, also left in May this year.
The ASO said it has begun the process for a global search for a new CEO.
