Molly Sheridan

His time has come: Jesse Rosen will lead the League.

It was a fait accompli, but that doesn't make Jesse Rosen's promotion late last week to president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras (nee American Symphony Orchestra League) any less impressive. On July 1, 2008 he succeeds Henry Fogel, who will remain in the organization. The League is the national support organization for orchestras.

Rosen, son of former Pittsburgh Symphony general manager Seymour Rosen, lived in Pittsburgh for a while, but has had a long career all over the country. He studied trombone the Manhattan School of Music and Juilliard before entering management. He was executive vice president of the American Composers Orchestra and a top manager at the New York Phil and the Seattle Symphony. He's been the executive vice president and managing director of the League for several years now, joining it in 1998, and he has been overseeing a massive re-organization of the League.

Best of luck to him. American orchestras need direction more than ever and the League has the potential to help them thrive in the 21st century.