Behind the Music
Greenville Symphony Orchestra’s Jessica Satava is honored with the Leadership in Arts Award
Arts advocate and community builder Jessica Satava just celebrated three years as executive director of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, but she has already turned her decades of passion and ingenuity into unique collaborations and an exciting trajectory for the Upstate’s much-loved institution—earning her the Leadership in Arts Award for 2025.
“Our vision for the future is giving people experiences that are full of joy and wonder, in a moment where they can be together with community and share in the transformative power of music,” says Satava. “That is really the core of what we’re trying to accomplish, and the natural extension of that is making sure that every child has access to those musical experiences.”
As a child who grew up immersed in the arts, Satava knows firsthand the positive impact that music can have for families and communities, and she is spearheading initiatives to do just that. “From homeschool to high school, we want to ensure that children have the Greenville Symphony and our musicians as part of their education at every stage of life.”
With Satava taking the helm as executive director and the Symphony’s new music director, Lee Mills, it is clear that a younger generation of leadership, with diverse experience and perspectives, is ready to set the stage for an exciting and evolving future in which the symphony plays an expanding role in culture and communities.
“Wherever something big is happening—from festivals to major holidays—we want the Greenville Symphony to be there to share that moment as part of people’s daily lives,” says Satava. “We are doing some very exciting, groundbreaking projects that collaborate in new ways with people across our region to create pieces and work that is uniquely Greenville. Very few arts organizations have been able to accomplish that in the same way, and [the hope is that] our orchestra begins to gain the national recognition and notoriety for the quality of ensemble that we are.”
The Leadership in Arts Award is sponsored by Craig Gaulden Davis Architecture|PBK Architects, whose firm has a storied history of building—and recognizing—the best of the Upstate’s creative culture. “Our firm has always been about designing for and helping improve the arts, so we really understand the importance of the Symphony’s impact on the livelihood of our community,” says Scott Powell, principal and president.
Jessica Satava Highlights
Memorable Moment: Choosing and launching the Symphony’s new music director, Lee Mills, in 2024
An Unexpected Challenge: Navigating the impact and aftermath of Hurricane Helene
A Year of Service: GSO offered 92 free music experiences last year, and served 25,000 children in every elementary school in Greenville County.
What’s next: Satava’s most anticipated piece of 2026, the Dicey Langston Project, is a brand-new orchestral work and original narrative performed by young women from the Upstate. The work celebrates the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence and South Carolina Revolutionary War heroine Dicey Langston.
Click here to learn more about the Leadership in Arts Award and the other Charitable Giving Awards.