Toronto Symphony Orchestra Elects New Chairperson

The TSO Board of Directors had voted unanimously to elect Tom Smee as its new Chair

Toronto Symphony (TSO) Board Chair Catherine Beck has stepped down from her position following eight years at the helm of the organization. She will be replaced by Tom Smee.

During her time in the role, Beck achieved a great deal. She presided over the appointment of Music Director Gustavo Gimeno, steered the TSO through the pandemic, turned a 40-year deficit around, and executed the orchestra’s return to both Massey Hall and Carnegie Hall.

She has left the TSO in a financially sound position, with a surplus of $54,000 in the 2024 fiscal year, as well as an accumulated surplus of more than $865,000.

Tom Smee first joined the TSO Board in 2016 and until recently was its Vice-Chair. A lawyer, Smee has previously served as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of the Royal Bank of Canada.

“I fell in love with the musicians — their talent, their dedication,” Beck wrote in a statement.  “I’ve been going to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra since I was twelve years old, but never did I dream of being able to meet, speak with, host, break bread with, these people from all over the world, with all kinds of backgrounds and stories. That’s been my greatest pleasure and happiness.”

“I want to thank the staff that makes the organization run so well today. You have used your collective know-how, your imagination and your intuition to significantly improve the way we work.”

“One of my goals is to further deepen the connection between the orchestra and our patrons and donors,” said incoming board chair Tom Smee. “They play a key role in supporting the TSO’s mission, and I want to ensure they continue to feel engaged and connected—not just with the organization as a whole but with the individual people who make up the TSO. It’s important to show that while community and artistic excellence may seem separate, they are intrinsically linked.”