March 9, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … William A. “Bill” Ryberg, currently President of the Grand Rapids Symphony in Michigan, has been appointed the Oregon Symphony’s next President, Board of Directors Chair Susan D. Keil announced today. Ryberg, a native of Washington State, is scheduled to arrive in Portland by May 1, 2004.
“We are extremely pleased that Bill has chosen to come home to the Northwest,” said Keil. “He is clearly one of the industry’s rising stars and we know that other orchestras had their sights on him as well. The success Grand Rapids has experienced during his six-year tenure speaks for itself; his passion for music and background in financial management, combined with his excellent track record in our business, make him a compelling choice.
“I would also say that his open, honest and engaging manner is a good fit not only for our organization but for the community as well,” Keil added.
“Bill is definitely our guy,” said Music Director Carlos Kalmar. “He is the right fit for Oregon Symphony and for Portland. I am thrilled he has taken the job. He and I have already formed a very strong working relationship and I look forward to what the orchestra will achieve with him as President.”
“I am delighted to join the Oregon Symphony as president,” said Ryberg. “The Oregon Symphony has a wonderful reputation of making great music in a community that treasures its cultural institutions. I am particularly excited about partnering with new music director Carlos Kalmar and supporting his artistic vision for the Oregon Symphony,” he added. “I certainly look forward to contributing to this great history of world class music making in Oregon.”
Ryberg was the unanimous choice of the Presidential Search Committee, said Committee Chair Jack Wilborn, Immediate Past Chair of the Symphony Board. “I believe that Bill is a great addition to our team and that his vision will set the course for a very successful future.” The 13-member search committee included representatives from the board, orchestra and staff, as well as community leaders.
Under Ryberg’s leadership both annual giving and the
endowment at the Grand Rapids Symphony have doubled since 1998.
He also has developed a solid, trusting relationship with the
orchestra which has resulted in the negotiation of two successful
contracts.
“He has the full respect of the
musicians, the board and the
community here,” said Paul
Farr, Chair of the Grand Rapids
Symphony Board of Directors. “He
is really a quality person. We
hate to lose him, but understand
that in the performing arts world
anytime you have a chance to
go to a bigger stage, it’s
something you have to do.”
A trained singer, Bill built an early and very successful career in leadership roles with the financial services market in the Northwest. While serving as Vice President and Regional Manager of Key Bank in 1996 he was enticed to become the Executive Director of the Bellingham Music Festival, where he increased ticket sales by more than 30 percent and erased a budget deficit. Bill is known as a charismatic and energetic leader known for his business savvy and collaborative style. He was born and raised in Washington State and earned a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Indiana University in 1983. Bill and his wife Evelyn, who is also a trained singer and a vice president in private banking with Fifth Third Bank in Michigan, enjoy travel, culinary arts, and golf.
William Ryberg has been president of the Grand Rapids Symphony since October 1998. A native of the Seattle area, Ryberg came to Michigan with credentials in the music industry (both as a performer and as an executive) as well as a long-term history in the financial services industry.
Ryberg graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. in 1980 and earned his Masters of Music degree in vocal performance from Indiana University in 1983, where he studied with the noted American soprano, Margaret Harshaw.
Upon returning to the Seattle area from Indiana University, Ryberg continued his vocal studies and also embarked on a successful 15-year banking career, which culminated when he served as vice president and regional manager of Key Bank for Northwest Washington State. In that position, Ryberg oversaw more than 200 employees in over 20 branch offices, and served as a leader in such diverse efforts as sales management, human resource development, accredited national quality service initiatives, and segmented market management development.
William Ryberg made a major career change 1996 when he was asked to become executive director of the Bellingham Festival of Music in Washington State, where he had served as chairman of the board of directors. The annual 15 day summer music festival has been called “the premiere Pacific Northwest classical music festival,” attracting many of the world's great artists.
In his current capacity as president of the Grand Rapids Symphony, Ryberg oversees an organization of more than 80 musicians and staff of 35 people. As president of the Grand Rapids Symphony, Ryberg has overseen the growth of the organization from a budget size of $4.9 million in 1998 to over $7 million in the current year.
William Ryberg and his wife Evelyn reside in Ada, Michigan.
