The Symphony of Southeast Texas is thrilled to announce our new Executive Director, James Strawther.
James, a 2001 Lamar University graduate, has been a percussionist with the SOST since 1998, becoming Principal Percussionist in 2002. Since 2000, he has held various administrative positions including Stage Manager, Librarian, and Personnel Manager. Since 2010, James has been the full time Operations Manager. On March 26, 2024 he was promoted to Executive Director.
Board President Kate Davis said, “It is with immense pleasure that I announce that the Executive Committee unanimously voted to appointment Jamie Strawther as the new Executive Director of the Symphony of Southeast Texas. With an impressive 20+ years of experience working closely with our symphony, Jamie’s deep understanding of our organization’s values and goals positions him perfectly for this role. His dedication to our symphony’s mission and his unwavering commitment to serving our community reflects a heart truly in the right place. We are confident that Jamie’s leadership will guide us towards even greater heights of artistic excellence and community impact. Please join us in congratulating Jamie as we embark on this exciting new journey together.”
“I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Jamie Strawther on his recent appointment as the Executive Director of the Symphony of Southeast Texas. Having worked alongside him in the orchestra for many years, I am confident that his expertise and vision will significantly benefit the symphony and Southeast Texas as a whole. With Jamie at the helm, I eagerly anticipate the exciting possibilities for the symphony in the years to come,” Chelsea Tipton II, Music Director.
“I am honored and humbled to be entrusted with this position. We have so many amazing people who are part of the SOST family that I feel extremely fortunate to work with, including our board, sponsors, supporters, patrons, staff, conductor and incredible orchestra. I look forward to building on our illustrious history as we strive to lift up our community through wonderful Symphonic music for years to come,” James said.
Married to Nederland ISD Choir Director Lara Strawther, James and his wife are fixtures around the SETX community with ties to Impact Church of Beaumont. They reside in Lumberton, Texas with their beloved Shi-Tzu JoJo.
The Symphony of Southeast Texas, embarking on its 71st season, is a regional, professional orchestra based in Beaumont, Texas. The Symphony performs a number of subscription concerts, educational programs and other concerts throughout Southeast Texas each year. SOST’s home base is the Julie Rogers Theatre in downtown Beaumont. The orchestra is composed of local musicians from the Beaumont vicinity, as well as many musicians from the Houston and Lake Charles areas.
For information on SOST’s concerts this season, please check our website at www.sost.org or call the Symphony Office at (409) 892-2257.
Michelle Walker, Marketing Director
The Symphony of Southeast Texas
4345 Phelan Blvd., Suite 105 Beaumont, TX 77707
Cell: (214) 662-2930 Office: (409) 892-2257 Fax: (409) 892-0117
Email: mwalker@sost.org Website: www.sost.org
