Libby Watson

Adjunct, Department of Art & Design

Elizabeth (Libby) Watson is the Executive Director of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra (ASO), a professional symphony orchestra in residence at Adrian College in Adrian, MI. With over 20 years of service to the organization, including time as a musician, board member, and the last 16 years as executive leader, Watson has been a catalyst for growth in advancing the orchestra’s mission, securing its financial stability, and expanding its community impact.
With a passion for broadening the reach of live, orchestral music and deepening the concert experience, Watson has launched numerous successful initiatives at the ASO, including expanding educational offerings to include programs for all ages from toddlers to college students, including Carnegie Hall’s Link Up curriculum, and founding a tuition-free Youth Orchestra for middle school students. Other key initiatives include pioneering and developing a supporter club focused on commissioning and performing new works by living composers, completing a Music Director search with Henry Fogel consulting, and establishing a Summer Chamber Music Series.
A strategic and visionary leader, Watson has guided ASO through national programs including the League of American Orchestras’ Institutional Vision initiative for innovation, Governance program for board development, and Catalyst Fund grant program. She led the orchestra’s first planned giving campaign growing financial reserves from $100K to $2M, increasing earned revenue, and raising compensation for musicians and staff. She also modernized the organization’s operations by adopting new financial, ticketing, and CRM systems. Watson also raised funds and procured $50K in new concert and percussion equipment for the orchestra.
Watson has a proven track record of successfully securing competitive grants from national and government funding organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, New Music USA, Arts Midwest, Michigan Arts & Culture Council, as well as national foundations such as the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation and MetLife through the League of American Orchestras. Additionally, she has received support from several notable local foundations and corporate partners. All of these successes have been made possible through the vital partnership of the Music Director, musicians and staff, and the steadfast support of the Board of Directors and donors, whose collaboration has been essential.
Beyond ASO, Watson serves more than 250 orchestras nation-wide as Chair of the League of American Orchestras’ Constituency Group for orchestra executive directors of similar budgets and sits on the League’s National Board of Directors. She is also a Steering Committee member for New Music for America, a collaborative music-commissioning, performance, and outreach program for smaller, regional orchestras across the country.
In addition to her leadership at the ASO, Watson serves as an Adjunct Professor at Adrian College, where she was instrumental in launching the college’s Arts Management degree program. Drawing on her extensive experience and passion for education and professional development, she designed the program’s framework and created the curriculum and course materials for its foundational classes, which she continues to teach:

• ARTM 101: Foundations in the Arts, Cultural, and Creative Industries – An introduction to arts leadership and organizational management, covering strategic planning, mission development, budgeting, program evaluation, and audience engagement, tailored to the unique needs of the cultural and creative sectors.

• ARTM 200: Non-Profits and the Arts, Cultural, and Creative Industries – A focused study of nonprofit operations, including board governance, fundraising, volunteer management, community engagement, and arts advocacy within nonprofit arts organizations.

• ARTM 400: Capstone – A culminating course in which students design and produce a public arts event, demonstrating skills in planning, fundraising, promotion, and execution, while advancing cultural literacy and appreciation.

Watson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Pre-Law from Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Siena Heights University. She has additional professional experience in the for-profit sector in retail, automotive, and banking where she worked in financial services and employee professional development. She plays the violin and viola and resides in Adrian, MI with her husband, Brian. Inspired by her two children, both current college students, she draws on their academic journeys to keep her teaching fresh and grounded.