Interview with Mark Niehaus

Interview with Mark Niehaus

From Voices of Freedom by Rick Graber

November 4, 2025 · 32 min · Season 3 · Episode 10

About this episode

Mark Niehaus discusses the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's role in community building and cultural revitalization in Milwaukee.

An Interview with Mark Niehaus, President and Executive Director, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra proves that art isn't just entertainment—it can be a key part of building community. Through concerts that bring diverse audiences together and revitalization efforts that have transformed its downtown home, the MSO stands as one of Milwaukee's most dynamic civic institutions. Our guest on this episode of Voices of Freedom is Mark Niehaus, President and Executive Director of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Mark spent 14 years as the MSO's principal trumpet before the board tapped him in 2012 to lead the organization. Under his leadership, the MSO completed an extraordinary restoration of the 1930s Warner Grand Theatre, expanding it into the Bradley Symphony Center. It opened in 2021, sparking renewal along West Wisconsin Avenue. As Wisconsin's largest performing arts institution, the MSO employs 70 full-time professional musicians who perform over 130 concerts annually and generate an estimated $55 million in economic activity. Topics Discussed on this Episode: Mark's atypical career path from musician to organizational leader Why the Bradley Symphony…

People in this episode

Host: Rick Graber

Guest: Mark Niehaus

Topics covered

  • community building through art
  • orchestra leadership
  • cultural revitalization
  • audience cultivation
  • economic impact of arts

Keywords

  • Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
  • Mark Niehaus
  • community
  • cultural revitalization
  • economic impact
  • Bradley Symphony Center
  • audience cultivation
  • orchestra leadership

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

Books & works: Bradley Symphony Center, Warner Grand Theatre

Places: Milwaukee, West Wisconsin Avenue, Wisconsin

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