Chad Smith | Photo by Matthew Imaging
The vacancy at the top of the LA Phil management following the abrupt departure of former CEO Simon Woods was brief as the orchestra’s board announced this week that longtime LA Phil staffer, Chad Smith (most recently, the Chief Operating Officer), would be the next CEO, effective immediately. Smith has been with the LA Phil since 2002, save for a brief stint at the New York Philharmonic. He began his career at the New World Symphony, working alongside conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. In his various positions at the LA Phil, Smith has been at the forefront of shaping the artistic identity of the orchestra and has overseen the LA Phil’s rise to become what the New York Times dubbed, “America’s most important orchestra. Period.”
