Madeleine Careau to Retire as CEO of Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Careau has given 24 years of service to the orchestra

Madeleine Careau, who has been the CEO of Canada's Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM) for a quarter of a century, will step down from the position at the close of the 2023/24 season. Careau said she had been thinking about leaving the position for some time, but opted not to retire during the turbulent times of the pandemic.

Throughout her tenure, Cadeau oversaw the recruitment of Kent Nagano in 2006, the opening of the Maison symphonique de Montréal (the OSM's then-new home) in 2011, the creation of the education program "La musique aux enfants" in 2016, and the hiring of current Music Director Rafael Payare in 2021.

A selection committee has been appointed and will begin the search for Careau's replacement.

“On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to sincerely thank Madeleine Careau for her remarkable contribution to the influence and development of the OSM for almost 25 years," said Lucien Bouchard, the chairman of the board of directors at OSM. "Often working in the shadows, while the reflection is projected onto the musicians and their leader, Ms. Careau was a great conductor in her own way, ensuring that all the teams, artistic and administrative, followed the same score and collaborated in harmony for the good of the institution and its various audiences."

"A determined manager and a rigorous, inspiring, and visionary leader, Madeleine will leave her mark on the OSM for a long time," he concluded. "For this, and much more, we are more than grateful."

“After careful consideration, I concluded that the time had come for me to pass on the baton, to allow a new leader or CEO to continue the mission of excellence, innovation, and community engagement which has always been that of the OSM," Careau said.

"At almost 90 years old, the OSM still has solid foundations: its place among the great North American orchestras is indisputable and its future is still as promising," she added.