CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra has hired David Gross of Lansing, Mich., as executive director. Gross will start with the symphony March 2.

Gross, 52, held a similar position with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, launching a successful capitol campaign and leading operational aspects for the orchestra with a $1 million budget. The WVSO's annual budget tops $3 million. He comes to Charleston with nearly 30 years of experience in the performing arts, both on stage and in management

Other accomplishments in Lansing include the re-establishment of a school partnership with the public schools, boosting ticket sales, reorganization of the staff, and instituting a successful orchestral chair sponsorship program guaranteeing more than $45,000 per year for a three-year period.

A 1978 graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Gross was principal timpanist with the Grand Rapids Symphony in Michigan prior to joining the Lansing Orchestra.

WVSO President Pat Bond is pleased with the search committee's selection. The committee, led by Jack Canfield and John Elliot, was made up of Artistic Director and Conductor Grant Cooper, representatives from the symphony board of directors, musicians and staff.

"He's a personable, outgoing guy who's been involved not only with the symphony but with the community. We're looking forward to his ideas about outreach, about working in the community," Bond said. Gross was the unanimous choice of the committee, and the selection pleased the staff, as well.

"When I told the staff about David, of course they had all met him, and they gave me a standing ovation," Bond said.

Bond noted that the musicians are pleased with Gross' background as a musician. "He's negotiated union contracts from both sides of the table, and the musicians in Lansing gave him rave reviews," Bond said.

"I negotiated labor agreements in Grand Rapids and in Lansing as a musician, and then in Lansing as an executive director, so I've been on both ends," Gross said in a telephone interview. "I think I'm like a player's coach. I'm a 'player's executive director,' I guess."

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra has hired David Gross of Lansing, Mich., as executive director. Gross will start with the symphony March 2.

Gross, 52, held a similar position with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, launching a successful capitol campaign and leading operational aspects for the orchestra with a $1 million budget. The WVSO's annual budget tops $3 million. He comes to Charleston with nearly 30 years of experience in the performing arts, both on stage and in management

Other accomplishments in Lansing include the re-establishment of a school partnership with the public schools, boosting ticket sales, reorganization of the staff, and instituting a successful orchestral chair sponsorship program guaranteeing more than $45,000 per year for a three-year period.

A 1978 graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Gross was principal timpanist with the Grand Rapids Symphony in Michigan prior to joining the Lansing Orchestra.

WVSO President Pat Bond is pleased with the search committee's selection. The committee, led by Jack Canfield and John Elliot, was made up of Artistic Director and Conductor Grant Cooper, representatives from the symphony board of directors, musicians and staff.

"He's a personable, outgoing guy who's been involved not only with the symphony but with the community. We're looking forward to his ideas about outreach, about working in the community," Bond said. Gross was the unanimous choice of the committee, and the selection pleased the staff, as well.

"When I told the staff about David, of course they had all met him, and they gave me a standing ovation," Bond said.

Bond noted that the musicians are pleased with Gross' background as a musician. "He's negotiated union contracts from both sides of the table, and the musicians in Lansing gave him rave reviews," Bond said.

"I negotiated labor agreements in Grand Rapids and in Lansing as a musician, and then in Lansing as an executive director, so I've been on both ends," Gross said in a telephone interview. "I think I'm like a player's coach. I'm a 'player's executive director,' I guess."

Gross' wife, Deborah, is the pianist with the Grand Rapids Symphony. She will move to Charleston at the end of the Grand Rapids season. They have a daughter who is pursuing her doctorate in performance at Michigan State University. Gross admitted to some good-natured ribbing about a certain WVU/Michigan football connection during his interview process.

"Someone in Michigan asked if I would bring a certain coach back to West Virginia with me...wait don't print that, it might get me in trouble," he said, laughing.

"I think Charleston is a wonderful community. It's beautiful, and the support for the arts impressed me," Gross said. "The level of the performance of the orchestra is amazing. And then there's the Clay Center, and it's an incredible venue.

"I think the first thing for me to do is just learn more about the immediate and long-range artistic goals of Maestro Cooper and make those happen," Gross said. "I'll help the staff achieve those goals. I always take the approach as an executive director that our product is putting the orchestra on stage, and I'll do whatever I can do to make a better product."

He said that another part of the product is the business of creating relationships in the community to support the organization, and that development and attendance are both integral to survival.

"We have to be responsible to the financial aspects but continue to grow and find more support for the orchestra," he said.

Gross isn't worried about following behind the well-liked and successful former director, Paul Helfrich. "As a musician, I have followed someone who had an outstanding reputation. I don't look at it as filling his shoes, but I'm bringing my own shoes and I'll do the very best I can."

Reach Sara Busse at sara.bu...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1249.