New York Philharmonic CEO to Receive Honors Concert

Young Concert Artists will honor Deborah Borda, who will soon be stepping down from her CEO role

The New York-based Young Concert Artists organization will honor Deborah Borda, the Linda and Mitch Hart President and CEO of the New York Philharmonic at the 62nd YCA Gala on May 8, 2023, at Lincoln Center. 

Appointed in 2017, Borda will leave her CEO role at the New York Philharmonic at the end of the 2022-23 season and will be succeeded by Gary Ginstling. After a rewarding tenure as CEO, she will become the orchestra’s Executive Advisor to the President and Board of Directors in July 2023.

In an evening of performances, the gala event will also celebrate YCA’s 62-year history of nurturing the next generation of talented young artists. Through a three-year program, YCA helps provide a platform for a professional music career. Its alumni include Emanuel Ax, Ray Chen, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Pinchas Zukerman, among others.

“For 60 years, Young Concert Artists has enriched the musical world by creating contexts in which gifted young musicians can develop their art,” said Borda as the YCA Gala Honoree.

YCA has also welcomed Paul Sekhri as a new Board Chair. Sekhri is the president and CEO of vTv Therapeutics, Inc. and in his new role, will lead YCA through a new four-year strategic plan to strengthen the organization.

Having studied piano seriously in his youth, Sekhri holds a deep interest in music. He is on the Board of Directors of The Metropolitan Opera, The English Concert in America, and is Chairman of New York’s Board of The Knights orchestra. Previously, he served on the Board of Trustees for Carnegie Hall and the YCA Board as Vice Chairman.  

“I am honored [and] look forward to working with the Board and staff as we continue the singular mission of YCA in caring for, encouraging, supporting, and fostering the careers of truly world-class musicians; those musicians for whom, as Van Cliburn put it, ‘making music is like breathing oxygen,’” Sekhri said.

“It is a joy to begin our work with Paul Sekhri in this critical leadership position,” commented YCA president Dan Kellogg. “This is a wonderful moment to build a strong future for the organization and to offer unparalleled career support, mentorship, and resources to help the most promising young musicians shape the future of classical music.”

“YCA has helped cultivate the careers of so many of today’s leading performers, including members of the New York Philharmonic, and its impact will only grow with Paul Sekhri’s arrival as a visionary new Chair,” Borda added. “It is a profound honor to be recognized by such a forward-looking organization, especially since we share a commitment to amplifying the voices of emerging musicians and, through such action, empowering the future of our art form.”

YCA also welcomes Demetrius Fuller, Ratna Subrahmanyam, and Donald R. Peck to its Board of Directors.

A video introducing YCA’s 62nd Gala can be viewed below.