Emerald City Music Appoints Sean Campbell as Executive Director

Emerald City Music has appointed Sean Campbell as its new Executive Director. Campbell comes to ECM from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, where he worked as its Artistic Planning Manager. Campbell will join ECM’s founding Artistic Director, Kristin Lee, in bringing ECM’s inventive programming to audiences in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

As Executive Director, Campbell will provide administrative leadership and support to ECM’s Board of Directors, assist Artistic Director Kristin Lee in developing and executing engagement events and educational programs, work with the ECM Board and staff to develop partnerships and collaborations with community organizations and local businesses, serve as a community ambassador, and develop a forward-thinking, strategic plan for the organization, among other key duties and responsibilities. Campbell will begin his tenure with ECM on February 3, 2025.

“I am absolutely thrilled to join the Emerald City Music team as its next Executive Director,” Campbell says. “ECM’s ability to combine exceptional performances with inviting, social concert experiences is an extraordinary benefit to the Puget Sound Region. Having grown up in Portland, Oregon, I’m so excited to return to the Pacific Northwest and support this wonderful organization’s growth as it continues to serve its thriving arts communities.”

Artistic Director Kristin Lee says, “I am thrilled to begin this exciting new chapter of Emerald City Music alongside Sean Campbell as our new Executive Director! Sean's extensive experience with various arts organizations and his deep passion for chamber music gives me confidence in the future of ECM. Together, I’m eager to bring this unique organization to even greater heights, continuing to bring meaningful musical experiences to our community.

On behalf of everyone at Emerald City Music, I want to extend our gratitude to the dedicated members of the Search Committee—Lynn Grant, Hsing-Hui Hsu, Sam Paris, Van Pham, John C. Robinson, and Shiva Shafii—whose collective efforts led to the selection of our new Executive Director. We also express our sincere thanks to Interim Executive Director Thom Mayes for his guidance throughout this process.”

“We are delighted to welcome Sean Campbell to Emerald City Music as our new Executive Director. His passion and experience as an arts administrator at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center set him apart from a field of candidates for the position,” says Hsing-Hui Hsu, President of Emerald City Music’s Board of Directors. “I am looking forward to working with him – and our fabulous Artistic Director, Kristin Lee – to bring intimate, eclectic chamber music experiences for the coming seasons."

Sean Campbell is an innovative and results-driven arts administrator and producer, with experience in managing programming, operations, and production for some of the nation's most respected performing arts organizations. With a deep passion for many styles of music, Campbell is skilled at building dynamic, inclusive environments that elevate artistic expression and enhance audience engagement.

Through his work at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Campbell planned and produced hundreds of events, digital partnerships, and film productions. Campbell led the programming and delivery of a premier partnership between CMS and Apple Music Classical, which launched in November 2024. This first-of-its-kind initiative accumulated more than 50,000 listeners in the first month. Other notable projects include producing the Emerson String Quartet’s final concerts, a two-part film for PBS, and a documentary on composer George Crumb.

Before moving to New York City in 2019, Campbell lived in Baltimore, Maryland, where he performed as a saxophonist, taught saxophone at the Baltimore School for the Arts, and taught woodwinds for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids program. Campbell also founded a contemporary music series that connected artists and audiences from disparate corners of Baltimore’s music communities.

Campbell holds a Master of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, where he held a teaching assistantship in Ethnomusicology, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Denver. Campbell will be relocating to Seattle with his wife Swetha, and their dog Inji.

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