Martha Gilmer awarded 2026 Impresario of the Year by Musical America

 

Martha Gilmer, president and CEO of the San Diego Symphony, has been named Musical America’s 2026 Impresario of the Year, a distinguished honor in the performing arts. As Musical America celebrates the 65th year of its awards program, this rare recognition honors Martha’s creativity, vision and more than 45 years of shaping orchestral music in the United States. The last time the award was given was in 2007 to Michael Kaiser, then president of the Kennedy Center.

For the release of these annual awards, Musical America news editor Susan Elliott had an expansive conversation with Martha.

 

Since arriving in San Diego in 2014, Martha has helped guide the Symphony through a period of extraordinary transformation. Working hand in hand with the board of directors, she has led three milestones that now define the organization: welcoming Rafael Payare as music and artistic director, bringing The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park™ to life on the waterfront, and the renovation and reopening of Jacobs Music Center, the Symphony’s cherished indoor home. 

Although each of these projects is a significant achievement in its own right, they are infinitely more when considered in the greater expanse of how arts impacts the lives of everyday citizens. They are expressions of Martha’s belief that music belongs at the heart of civic life and in the cultural zeitgeist of great communities. The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, created in partnership with the Port of San Diego, has become one of the city’s most joyful gathering places—welcoming record audiences to the embarcadero. Meanwhile, the $163 million transformation of Jacobs Music Center has renewed a historic space with beautiful acoustics, modern technology and thoughtful design, all in pursuit of sonic perfection for musicians and audiences alike.  

 

Music Director and Artistic Director of the San Diego Symphony Rafael Payare shares, “I am so happy that Martha is receiving this recognition, as she is a truly visionary leader. From the very beginning of our partnership, she has worked tirelessly on behalf of the San Diego Symphony, constantly inspiring everyone within the organization through her remarkable leadership. No matter how complex a project may seem, with Martha, as soon as we are close to completing one, we immediately begin dreaming about the next. It is fantastic to see her legacy honored with this award—not only for her work in San Diego, but for everything she has contributed to our field. Even through the extraordinary challenges we have faced, including the pandemic, what the San Diego Symphony has achieved under her leadership is remarkable. Today, we have two world-class venues, and the orchestra is soaring artistically and receiving ever greater recognition. I am deeply proud and grateful to have partnered with Martha in serving this remarkable orchestra and the San Diego community."

San Diego Symphony Concertmaster Jeff Thayer expressed his pride and admiration, noting: "The news of Musical America naming Martha Gilmer as the recipient of the Impresario of the Year Award brings great joy and pride to me and to our entire organization. Martha deserves every bit of this rarely bestowed recognition. In a very short amount of time, Martha has managed to expand and enrich the classical music landscape in San Diego for generations to come. We are all indebted to her for her extraordinary vision and leadership." 

 

Central to Martha’s work is connection. Programs like Music Connects bring live performances to hospital patients, service members, veterans and incarcerated individuals. High School Ambassadors opens doors for young people, offering mentorship and a sense of belonging in the arts. Her passion for new music and cross-border collaboration has deepened the Symphony’s ties with Mexico, including a moving 2023 Día de los Muertos performance at CECUT in Tijuana. 

Before coming to San Diego, Martha spent 35 years at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where she rose to vice president for artistic planning and audience development and built lasting relationships with many of the world’s leading artists: Sir Georg Solti, Pierre Boulez, Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, and Riccardo Muti among many others. One of her most meaningful projects was Beyond the Score, a multimedia concert series she executive produced alongside longtime friend and collaborator, Gerard McBurney, welcomed new audiences and communities to the revered institution. 

Other recognition received by Martha include being named 2025 Director of the Year by the Corporate Directors Forum, a 2024 Cool Women honoree by Girl Scouts of San Diego, and a recipient of the Moving San Diego Forward Award from the Regional Chamber of Commerce. She was also included in Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals of the Year in 2021. Martha continues to serve the arts and the community through board leadership with the Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Tourism Authority, Solti Foundation, League of American Orchestras, and the Mayor’s Civic Revitalization Committee. A proud graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Music, she remains deeply connected to changing the world through music by leveraging her passion for orchestral knowledge, expanding collaborative partnerships and continuing her commitment to mentorship.

McBurney summarizes with fondness and inspiration, “Martha is someone deeply, passionately and humbly devoted to orchestral music. Because of the experience of her own life, she knows how this art form can transform and enrich the lives of anyone who encounters it.” 

The San Diego Union-Tribune music critic, George Varga, spoke with Martha Gilmer in an interview this week about how it feels to be bestowed with such a prestigious accolade: “I’m incredibly honored. And I am humbled because I have fabulous colleagues that I have learned so much from in my many years in this role. I hope to accept this award on behalf of all the people who have gotten our cultural institutions through some particularly tight times—and who have reimagined the role of an orchestra through the decades, allowed it to grow and to change, and always believed in how important it is for a city to have a great orchestra.”