In this special edition of USC Thornton School of Music's long-running Music@RushHour series, Kim Noltemy, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, sits down with USC Thornton Dean Jason King for a wide-ranging conversation about her professional journey, her approach to leadership and her perspective on the future of classical music.

Noltemy will reflect on the experiences that have shaped her career and leadership philosophy, from her path through the classical music world to her current role leading one of the world’s most influential cultural institutions. The conversation will explore what it means to lead in the arts today, the opportunities and challenges facing classical music, and her vision for the LA Phil and the evolving musical landscape of Los Angeles.

Offering both a personal and forward-looking perspective, the conversation will give USC Thornton students and the wider community an opportunity to hear directly from Noltemy about the lessons she has learned throughout her career, the ideas guiding her leadership and her hopes for the next generation of musicians and arts leaders.

The conversation will be followed by a Q&A with students and audience members.

 

ABOUT KIM NOLTEMY

Kim Noltemy is guided by the belief that music is a transformational force in society. As President & Chief Executive Officer of the LA Phil, she leads California’s largest nonprofit performing arts organization, which includes the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra, three iconic venues in LA that annually present more than 300 events across genres, and vibrant education and community programs. Under Noltemy’s leadership, the LA Phil has reimagined its artistic leadership to embrace a new collaborative model, anchored by the appointments of Daniel Harding, who will become the 12th Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the 2027/28 season; Creative Director Esa-Pekka Salonen; and Gustavo Dudamel, Artistic and Cultural Laureate of the LA Phil and Founding Director and Conductor Laureate of YOLA.

Since beginning her tenure in July 2024, Noltemy has spearheaded campus-wide capital improvement projects at the Hollywood Bowl, including the construction of the Terri and Jerry Kohl Artists Pavilion, and helped create the Los Angeles County Parks Foundation Neighborhood Grant Program in partnership with Live Nation Hewitt Silva to benefit the communities surrounding the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford. She has increased access to high-quality music instruction to students across LA County through the expansion of the LA Phil’s flagship learning program, YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles). In response to the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, Noltemy mobilized a coordinated effort to raise money and support for community members affected by the disaster, culminating in the We ♥️ LA concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Looking forward, she has positioned the LA Phil as a key partner in the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Prior to her time in Los Angeles, Noltemy served in leadership roles at American symphony organizations for more than a quarter of a century. She served as the President & CEO of the Dallas Symphony Association from January 2018 to June 2024. At the DSA, she expanded programming and community initiatives, and increased performance and professional opportunities throughout the organization including founding the Women in Classical Music Symposium in 2018 and appointing the first female Principal Guest Conductor and Composer-in-Residence. In addition, she led the orchestra on its first international tour in more than 10 years and secured a 100-year lease of the Meyerson Symphony Center. Noltemy led the Music Director search in 2018 and appointed Fabio Luisi as Music Director through 2029. In 2019, she founded the Young Musicians program, which provides free instruments and eight hours of lessons weekly for 1,800 students in Southern Dallas each year. During her six-year tenure, she greatly increased online access to concerts as part of a strategy to expand audiences and foster a wider appreciation of classical music.

Before joining the DSA, Noltemy worked for 21 years for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, most recently as its Chief Operating and Communications Officer, overseeing management of the brands, digital strategy, educational activities, the Boston Pops Orchestra, venues including Symphony Hall and Tanglewood, and $46 million in annual earned revenue. While at the BSO, she also served as President of Boston 4 Celebrations, the separate not-for-profit organization that produces the annual July 4 event featuring the Boston Pops.

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Admission is free and open to the public with an RSVP. All Thornton Signature Series Events have a standby line for fully booked events. Seating is first-come, first-served. Please arrive early to claim your ticket and allow enough time for parking, locating the venue, and checking in. If you arrive less than five minutes before the start time, you will forfeit your spot to the waitlist/standby line.