Birman Leaving Louisville

Janos Gereben on January 22, 2013

Robert Birman, Executive Director of Philharmonia Baroque from 2001 to 2008, has resigned as CEO of the Louisville Orchestra after leading the orchestra through bankruptcy, and a "bruising labor battle ... with attempts to hire non-union replacements via Craigslist," reports The Louisville Courier-Journal.

Birman and the orchestra announced Saturday that he would step down Feb. 1. An interim CEO will be named soon while the orchestra launches a search.

Birman, 45, became the face of orchestra management as the organization sank into bankruptcy in 2010 and weathered a protracted labor dispute with its musicians that silenced the 2011-2012 season and angered many longtime subscribers.

The current 30-week schedule under the orchestra’s $5.3 million budget compares with a nearly $6 million budget during the 2010-11 season and a 37-week schedule.