The Sioux City Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors has named Sam Pavel as the orchestra’s Executive Director, effective June 1, 2026. Pavel succeeds David Gross and joins the SCSO as it prepares for its 111th season, with expanding education programming through the Gilchrist Music Education Center.
SCSO Board President Richard Kunz said he was impressed by the collaborative spirit Pavel brings to the role, a quality he expects will help connect the orchestra’s musicians, audiences and the wider Siouxland community. Pavel said he is excited to work alongside Music Director Ryan Haskins.
Pavel comes to Sioux City from the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, where he served as Vice President of Operations. In Fort Worth he directed orchestra operations and concert production for a 46-week season, oversaw season planning in collaboration with the Music Director and CEO, and managed performance partnerships including the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
Before Fort Worth, Pavel spent six seasons with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra in Madison, advancing from Production Manager to Director of Operations and then General Manager. There he managed the orchestra’s civic partnerships for its summer series, Concerts on the Square, served as a lead management representative in successful collective bargaining negotiations with the musicians’ union, and built presenting partnerships with organizations including the Festival Choir of Madison and Madison Ballet. He previously served as Orchestra and Operations Manager of the San Luis Obispo Symphony in California.
A percussionist by training, Pavel holds a Master of Music in performance from San Diego State University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in music performance from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. In 2024 he completed the League of American Orchestras’ Essentials of Orchestra Management program at The Juilliard School as a scholarship recipient. He has performed with orchestras including the San Diego Symphony, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Rockford Symphony Orchestra and Peoria Symphony Orchestra.
Pavel works alongside Music Director Ryan Haskins, the SCSO Board of Directors and staff to lead the orchestra into its next chapter. The community was invited to welcome him at a public reception in the Orpheum Theatre lobby at 11:00 a.m. on June 16, 2026.
In the news: Pavel named new executive director of Sioux City Symphony Orchestra — Siouxland Public Media
