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Glacier Symphony and Chorale Announces New Director

Paul Larson will head up the GSC as it heads into 35th season this summer

By Molly Priddy
Paul Larson. Contributed photo.

There’s a new executive director pulling the strings at the Glacier Symphony and Chorale and replacing longtime director Alan Satterlee.

Paul Larson, a recent transplant from Chicago, will take over the duties that Satterlee held for the last 10 years.

“We are delighted to welcome Paul to our organization. His 14 prior years working in fundraising and marketing for arts organizations made him the perfect person to help the Glacier Symphony and Chorale grow into its next 35 years,” Jim Lehner, board chair of GSC, said. 

Larson moved to the Flathead Valley in 2015 from Chicago, where he has served as president of Taylar Development, a national fundraising and marketing consulting firm specializing in performing arts and cultural organizations. 

He grew Taylar to over 50 employees with locations in Chicago and Milwaukee. Taylar’s client base has included over 76 arts organizations ranging from symphony orchestras in St. Louis, Nashville, Denver, Eugene and Dallas to theatre, opera, dance and visual arts companies in major cities across the U.S.

In his role with Taylar, Larson developed and trained arts marketing staff on strategic fundraising campaigns, ticketing promotions and membership programs and designed proprietary software for arts marketing. He remains president of the company, but handed off day-to-day operation of it when he moved to Kalispell.

Larson said that focusing on the arts for the past 14 years has given him a clear perspective on the important role they play in communities, especially here.

“Symphony music and the arts are one of the reasons I made the Flathead Valley my home. I, like many others, was drawn here for the mountains, forests, lakes and rivers, and also because of the diversity in the various communities,” Larson said. “We are not just a ski area or a sleepy vacation spot; the valley has growing school districts, a large medical community and kids and adults who need Glacier Symphony and Chorale’s work.”

The GSC will begin its 35th season this summer, and the next public opportunity to meet Larson will be at the GSC’s Easter Festival, held on April 6, 8, and 9 at Flathead High School.