Dr Sophie Galaise joined the MSO as its first female Managing Director in April 2016.
She has been on the board of Symphony Services International since 2013 and was elected Chair in November 2021. She is a member of the Advisory Council of the Harvard Business Review, the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and the CEO Institute in Australia. Sophie is also a member of the International Advisory Committee of the only Master in International Arts Management (MMIAM), a program offered by Southern Methodist University (Dallas), SDA Bocconi (Milan) and HEC (Montreal). This unique program trains the next generation of managers and prepares them to work abroad or with foreign organisations.
Two-time winner of the 100 Women of Influence Awards, in 2019 (Australian Financial Review/Qantas) and 2015 (AFR/Westpac), Sophie is renowned for her extensive global experience working with orchestras, not only at the executive level, but also as a professional musician and musicologist.
Sophie was invited to participate in the 2019 Perpetual Stanford CEO Study Tour in San Francisco. Along with other leaders from Australia, North America, and Europe, she took part in a week of activities with the Stanford’s Centre on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS). In December 2021, Musical America magazine recognised Sophie amongst the world “Top 30 Professionals of the Year; Heroes of the pandemic”, for her leadership in response to the pandemic, her unwavering dedication to the MSO and more broadly to the performing arts sector.
In October 2022, Sophie was appointed Honorary Consul of Canada in Melbourne and in November 2022, The Asia Society Australia honoured her with an Asia Game Changer 2022 Award.
Prior to her appointment to the MSO, Sophie was Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Previous roles include Executive Director of the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, Executive Director and Artistic Director of the Orford Arts Centre and Music Coordinator for the Quebec Arts Council.
Starting her career as a flautist in Germany, Sophie worked in Switzerland and France with Pierre Boulez. Native from Quebec, Canada, Sophie has a PhD in Musicology from the University of Montreal and an Executive MBA from McGill University/HEC Montreal.