ABout John
John Kieser is a senior arts executive and consultant with a track record of helping cultural organizations grow artistically, financially, and strategically. Drawing on decades of leadership experience in North America and Europe, he partners with boards, executives, and artistic leaders to develop vision, drive innovation, expand audiences, strengthen organizational effectiveness, and create lasting impact.
Media Production & Distribution
John has extensive experience creating and leading media enterprises within cultural organizations. He has overseen the development of Emmy and Grammy Award-winning productions, built in-house media capabilities, and established strategic distribution partnerships that expanded institutional visibility and audience reach. He has advised numerous organizations on media strategy, content development, production, distribution, and audience engagement.
Strategy & Organizational Leadership
Having served as President & CEO, General Manager, Executive Vice President, and Provost, John brings a broad perspective on organizational leadership and change management. He works with boards, executive teams, and artistic leaders to develop strategic plans, improve organizational effectiveness, align resources with mission, and navigate periods of growth, transition, and transformation.
Labor Relations & Negotiation
John has been the lead negotiator or a key member of bargaining teams in more than forty collective bargaining negotiations involving musicians, vocal artists, stagehands, and other represented employees. He has negotiated both locally and nationally and is experienced in navigating complex stakeholder environments. While skilled in traditional positional bargaining, he is a strong advocate of Interest Based Bargaining and received negotiation training from Robert Mnookin, Samuel Williston Professor Emeritus and former Chair of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.
Audience Development & Innovation
Throughout his career, John has focused on creating new ways for audiences to experience and engage with the performing arts. His work includes the development of innovative concert facilities, formats, digital engagement initiatives, media projects, and audience-centered experiences designed to attract new patrons while deepening relationships with existing audiences.
Organizational Effectiveness
John has designed and implemented operational systems that improve efficiency, accountability, and collaboration across organizations. His management philosophy emphasizes transparency, empowerment, and shared ownership, enabling teams to perform at their highest level while maintaining a strong commitment to mission and artistic excellence.
Selected recognition and professional service reflecting John’s commitment to artistic excellence, community engagement, and innovation in the performing arts.
Awards & Recognition
- Under John’s leadership, the San Francisco Symphony’s media initiatives earned 2 Emmy Awards and 16 Grammy Awards, including seven for the orchestra’s acclaimed Mahler recording cycle
- Emmy Award, Executive Producer, The San Francisco Symphony at 100
- Honorary Gold Card, IATSE Local 16, awarded in recognition of distinguished service and longstanding contributions to the performing arts industry
- Deems Taylor Award, Executive Producer, Keeping Score: The Making of a Performance and Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony
Professional Affiliations
- Member, League of American Orchestras
- Member, Orchestras Canada
- Member, International Musik Zentrum (IMZ)
Community Service
- Volunteer, Sphinx Organization, Detroit
- Board Member, École Notre Dame des Victoires, San Francisco
- Performing Arts Chair, Soirée des Arts, International High School, San Francisco
- Cultural Representative, Mayor of San Francisco Delegation to China
John Kieser is a senior arts executive and consultant with extensive experience leading cultural organizations, developing innovative audience engagement strategies, and creating award-winning media and digital initiatives.
Most recently, he served as President & CEO of the Honens International Piano Competition, where he used Blue Ocean Strategy principles to reimagine the role of a music competition in today’s cultural landscape. Previously, he was Director of Partnerships for IDAGIO, the leading global classical music streaming service, and Executive Producer of Media for the New World Symphony.
Prior to these roles, John served as Executive Vice President and Provost of the New World Symphony, where he oversaw Musician Advancement, Audience Experience, Community and Audience Engagement, Research and Design, and Digital Media. His work focused on developing new concert formats—both live and digital—to expand audiences while advancing the professional development of the organization’s Fellows.
Before joining the New World Symphony, John served as Director of Operations and Electronic Media, and later as General Manager, of the San Francisco Symphony. He led the Symphony’s media initiatives, overseeing projects that earned 16 Grammy Awards and multiple Emmy Awards while expanding the orchestra’s national and international profile. During this period, he founded SFS Media, creating an integrated in-house media enterprise responsible for recordings, broadcasts, digital content, and the acclaimed multimedia series Keeping Score. In 2014, he led the team that created SoundBox, an experimental performance venue designed to explore new concert formats, enhance audience engagement, and foster artistic innovation among orchestra musicians.
Earlier in his career, John served as Orchestra Manager of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa and began his arts administration career with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Today, John advises arts and cultural organizations on strategy, growth, audience development, digital innovation, organizational transformation, artistic planning, and leadership development.
Interest-Based Bargaining and Negotiating Training with Robert Mnookin, Samuel Williston Professor Emeritus and former Chair of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School
Bachelor of Music, University of Toronto
Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto