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Utah Symphony | Utah Opera has hired Paul Meecham as president and CEO.

He replaces Melia Tourangeau, who left for a job as president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony last summer.

Meecham, 58, was born in Bath, England, and earned a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Birmingham. He plays piano and violin but said he pursued a career in music publishing, then arts administration, because he always wanted to be involved in music but lacked the "steely nerves" of a performer. He held management positions at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and London Sinfonietta before coming to the United States 19 years ago as general manager of the San Francisco Symphony. Stints as general manager of the New York Philharmonic and executive director of the Seattle Symphony followed; he has been executive director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since 2006.

"I certainly wasn't looking to leave," he said in a phone interview from Baltimore on Monday, but the Utahns were "quietly persistent."

"As I learned more, I became increasingly excited and started to think maybe after 10 years … a change would be a good idea," he said, noting that the scope of the organization's offerings — a symphony orchestra, an opera company and the summer Deer Valley Music Festival — intrigued him.

Joanne Shiebler, who co-chaired the search committee that hired Meecham (and was a co-founder of the Deer Valley festival), said finding a leader with the background and skills to preside over that three-pronged endeavor was crucial.

"Paul brought a depth of experience and such a lovely demeanor," she said after a news conference Tuesday where Meecham's hiring was announced. Given his credentials, "we were thrilled he was interested in coming out to interview."

"We could not have found a better match," said Patricia Richards, who was US | UO's interim president and CEO during the search. "Paul is extremely well-respected; he has great experience and great ideas. He really is an artistic and visionary match for us and our ambitions."

Meeting with Utah Symphony music director Thierry Fischer, Utah Opera artistic director Christopher McBeth, board members and musicians, "it's clear people feel very positive about the future direction, building on the legacy of [longtime former music director Maurice] Abravanel and taking it to a whole new level," Meecham said, citing the orchestra's upcoming trip to Carnegie Hall and ongoing recording projects.

"I knew from the first moment we met that Paul was exactly the kind of partner I've been hoping for as we continue to grow as an institution," Fischer said in a news release. "The timing could not be more perfect. His vast experience as a leader in our industry is a spot-on match for our artistic ambitions, and I know he understands how important it is that we maintain our momentum. I do think it is wonderful that our progress has brought us to a place where someone of Paul's caliber simply could not say no to this opportunity."

The self-described soccer dad and skier of "moderate abilities" starts work at Abravanel Hall on July 1. Before relocating with his wife, two school-age children, a dog and two cats, he needs to wrap up centennial celebrations at the BSO and play host to the League of American Orchestras national conference. "There's a lot to do between then and now," he said.