Presented By
Join us on Thursday, October 9, 2025, for a LUNCH (12:00-1:30pm) meeting at The View (1071 Celestial St, 45202), for a program with Robert McGrath, President & CEO, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
Robert McGrath was appointed as the President and CEO of the CSO, on February 17, 2025. McGrath succeeds Jonathan Martin, who announced his retirement at the end of November 2024.
A 27-year veteran of the orchestra field, including nine years as Vice President and General Manager and four years as Chief Operating Officer at the CSO, McGrath will take the helm of one of the most progressive major orchestras in America. He will simultaneously lead as President and CEO of the CSO; President of the CSO’s subsidiary, Music and Event Management, Inc. (MEMI); and President of CSO’s partner organization, the Cincinnati May Festival.
No stranger to change, Robert McGrath has been a steady force in the CSO’s business continuity and resilience during his tenure. He served as key personnel in facilitating a $143 million renovation of Music Hall as well as the master transition plan during the building’s 17-month construction period. He served on search committees for new artistic leadership, resulting in the successful hires of Music Directors Louis Langrée in 2013 and Cristian M?celaru in 2024. He also led productive labor relations with the musicians and Local-1 of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), culminating in two industry-leading collective bargaining agreements in 2021 and 2024.
Robert McGrath is a graduate of the New England Conservatory with a Bachelor of Music in bassoon performance, an alumnus of the League of American Orchestras’ Management Fellowship Program and a recent winner of Cincinnati Business Courier’s prestigious C-Suite Award. Prior to joining the CSO as Vice President and General Manager in 2011, he held senior positions with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra and Chicago’s Music of the Baroque; he began his career in fundraising with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
RSVPs are required to attend, whether you are eating lunch or not, so if you would like to attend, please click HERE by 5:00 p.m., Friday, October 3, 2025, or contact [email protected]. If you are not a current member of the Rotary Club of Cincinnati, please note lunches are $30, and payment will be collected at the door via cash, check, or credit card. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
Meal Choices –
Regular Entrée: Penne Pasta with Chicken Breast, Pesto Cream Sauce & Parmesan Cheese.
Salad Entrée: Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad with Edamame, Tomatoes, Irish Cheddar, Egg, Avocado, Watercress and Dijon Vinaigrette.
Vegetarian Entrée: Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom Bolognese and Grilled Vegetable Medley.
