Royal Conservatory of Music president and CEO Peter Simon, who has been leading the institution for more than three decades, will step down next year.
The conservatory announced Simon’s retirement on Thursday – and also revealed his successor, Alexander Brose. The former executive director and CEO of the Tianjin Juilliard School, Brose will become president designate on Sept. 1. of this year. Brose and Simon will work together in a year-long transition that will end with Simon’s retirement on Aug. 31, 2024.
Brose, who is American but spent much of his childhood in East Asia, was hired after what the conservatory describes as an extensive global search. He held various positions with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and was vice-president for development at the Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado.
Last year in Ottawa, Simon was awarded the prestigious Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary by the Hungarian ambassador. Teacher training has also developed under his leadership, with a certification program and, in 2016, the launch of an online portal for teachers. When the pandemic hit, the conservatory offered free training forums for teachers who suddenly needed to conduct their lessons virtually, and then made its new piano series available to all teachers for free. The conservatory’s practical exams were moved online rather than eliminating or postponing them.