Fourth Annual Daniel Ranalli Lecture: Centering the Human in an Orchestra of Ideas

With Eunice and Julian Cohen President and CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Chad Smith

The Arts Administration program at Boston University’s Metropolitan College is proud to welcome Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) President and CEO Chad Smith as the speaker for the fourth annual Daniel Ranalli Lecture. For more than 20 years, Smith has been at the forefront of the classical music field, curating festivals and programs that have united disparate forms of music and art, setting a new and aspirational standard for what an orchestra should be in the 21st century. A former fellow at the BSO’s Tanglewood Music Center, as well as a former CEO of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Smith carries on his longstanding dedication to training and supporting the next generation of artists while cultivating an inquisitive audience. To advance this goal, in 2024 he and the BSO announced the Boston Symphony Orchestra Humanities Institute—a platform which contextualizes and enhances the orchestra’s musical offerings through lectures, exhibitions, and other programming rooted in an exploration of the humanities.

A longtime advocate for new music and emerging composers, Smith further invested in the BSO’s future by establishing the Deborah and Philip Edmundson Composer Chair position. Smith and the BSO also recently expanded the Susan W. and Stephen D. Paine Resident Fellows Program, which presents rising musicians from historically unrepresented backgrounds with valuable professional experience at a crucial time in their careers.

Established by the Arts Administration program in 2022, the Ranalli Lecture Series invites senior leaders in the arts to share their perspectives, outlooks, and lessons learned over long careers with MET students.

The event is complimentary and open to the public. A reception will follow.

Please register as space is limited.