Jennifer Barlament

A passionate advocate for orchestras and their role in building strong communities, Jennifer Barlament joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in January 2016. As the institution’s chief executive, Jennifer defines the strategic vision for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra while engaging key audiences to make that vision a reality.

At the ASO, Jennifer has presided over a period of extraordinary financial, artistic and institutional success, including the landmark naming of Nathalie Stutzmann as music director in 2022; consistent annual budget surpluses; multiple successful contract negotiations with the Orchestra’s musicians; growth of audiences and expansion of community programming; completion of an endowment campaign; and strategic development of the ASO’s Board and donor base. Of particular note is the ASO’s increased emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion in all areas of the institution under Jennifer’s leadership, including the appointment of the ASO’s first Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and enhancement of the ASO’s Talent Development Program, an elite training program spanning three decades for pre-collegiate Black and Latinx musicians pursuing careers in the exceptionally competitive field of classical music performance. With the collaborative efforts of orchestra, staff and Board, Jennifer also guided the Orchestra through the COVID-19 pandemic, driving innovative solutions and launching a new digital concert series.

Jennifer has enjoyed a rich career in a variety of roles in orchestras across the country, including at The Cleveland Orchestra, where she served as General Manager; the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra; Omaha Symphony; Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. In each of Jennifer’s roles, she has supported orchestral musicians at the heart of the broad musical, education and community service mission of the organization; worked collaboratively to achieve greater visibility and community impact through expanded programming; drove growth in audiences and reach; built high performing teams and positive cultures that support individuals’ growth and development; and developed financially sustainable structures through prudent cost management, collaborative decision-making, and focus on revenue growth.

Dedicated to mentoring rising professionals in the field of orchestra management, Jennifer has served as a member of the faculty of the League of American Orchestras’ premier professional development program, the Essentials of Orchestra Management, since 2017, and served as a founding mentor of the League’s Anne Parsons Leadership Program.

Jennifer’s pathway to managing orchestras was through music. While pursuing a graduate degree in clarinet performance at the Eastman School of Music, she founded the New Eastman Symphony with a group of fellow students. This experience opened up the world of orchestra administration and led to Jennifer’s acceptance into the League of American Orchestras’ highly competitive Orchestra Management Fellowship Program, where she worked in all aspects of orchestra administration during Fellowship assignments with the San Francisco Symphony, the New Jersey Symphony, and the Detroit Symphony.