Who we are
Barry Kempton
Barry Kempton has spent 40 years working for arts organizations in the United States and the United Kingdom. His career began at the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, then the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; for the last 19 years, he led first the City of London Sinfonia and then the Schubert Club. His orchestra management days took him to concert venues and festivals on four continents and taught him that there is a solution to every challenge if you think things through. In his youth, he was a good trombonist and an okay pianist. He has no regrets about setting aside the instruments for the opportunities he’s been lucky to have in arts administration. His strengths are listening, analysis and an understanding that as a manager, it is impossible to over-communicate. He learned his administrative skills - and especially fundraising – on the job, in large part because of great mentors and colleagues like Jon.
Jon Limbacher
Over the last 33 years, Jon Limbacher has worked for major orchestras in the United States including serving in three instances as the chief development officer. His most extensive experience has come with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra where he worked for over 20 years including leading the organization’s fundraising program and ultimately serving as CEO for 10 years. Jon also has significant experience advising orchestras on annual fundraising, capital campaigns, governance and strategic issues. With deep experience as a practitioner and adviser in many different communities, Jon is excited to share what he has learned to help organizations secure the resources they need to advance their missions. Jon loves music, history and literature. He and his wife Patty are passionate about the Twin Cities, especially Saint Paul.