Pictured (above): Mary Deissler; photo credit Justin Driscoll.

The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announced today that Mary Deissler will step down as President and CEO effective August 31, 2019.

According to the CSO, Deissler plans to return to Boston to focus on a performing arts consulting business. She will continue as Senior Advisor to the Charlotte Symphony through December 1, 2019.

“It’s been a privilege to partner with the Board, musicians, and a tremendously talented staff to move the CSO to a more inclusive, vibrant, and financially solid institution,” said Deissler. “I greatly thank and will miss the generosity of the Charlotte community.”

The orchestra says it has seen growth in its community programs and improvements to the organization’s fiscal stability under Deissler’s leadership. Some of the community programs include Project Harmony, a signature youth empowerment program in partnership with Arts+; the On Tap series at area breweries; and Music and Memory, a program that serves aging adults who suffer from memory loss.

“I am grateful to Mary for her partnership and resolve,” says Music Director Christopher Warren-Green. “She challenged the status quo and worked to achieve financial stability that is the critical bedrock to the growth of our orchestra.”

The CSO says Vice President of Development Michelle Hamilton will lead the management team in the interim, while a search committee appointed by the Board of Directors works to find a replacement.