"The past season was a particularly noteworthy one for the Berkeley Symphony," Ginstling said in a statement, "not only because more people in our community are experiencing our inspiring, thought-provoking style of music-making, but also because the board and staff continue to operate the organization in a fiscally responsible way."

Founded in 1969, the Berkeley Symphony has been led since 1978 by music director Kent Nagano and has established a reputation for adventurous programming under his leadership. This past season, the orchestra gave three world premieres and an American premiere.

Ginstling also announced the appointment of Kenneth Johnson, a cellist in the orchestra and a geologist at the University of California-Berkeley, as chairman of the board.