Bruce Coppock, 1951-2022

Former SPCO president Bruce Coppock. (Photo by Ann Marsden)

By Jon Limbacher, Managing Director and President

It is with a very heavy heart that I write to you today to let you know that our former President, Bruce Coppock has passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Bruce led the SPCO from 1999 to 2008 and then again from 2013 to 2016. He was the longest serving executive leader in the SPCO’s 63 year history. Bruce’s impact on the SPCO has been nothing short of profound. It was Bruce’s imagination and vision that led to the creation of the musician-led artistic model complemented with artistic partners. This courageous innovation redefined the SPCO artistically and unleashed the creative potential of the orchestra members. Bruce believed that the musician-led model would produce even more compelling and dynamic concerts for the community. I know that he was deeply gratified to see this model blossoming with Kyu’s leadership.

Bruce was also a driving force behind the development and completion of the Concert Hall Campaign which has provided the SPCO with a beautiful and acoustically stellar home. His greatest and most enduring contribution was instilling in our culture a strong willingness to challenge the orthodoxy of the orchestra field, and a strong bias for innovation. As a leader, Bruce’s modus operandi was simple and clear: Be bold and be not afraid. He knew that in order for the SPCO to thrive over the long run it would need to constantly adapt, change and innovate. Bruce possessed a giant intellect, a great passion for music and an exceedingly big heart.

In the coming weeks we will update you on our plans to honor and remember Bruce and his contributions to the SPCO.

— Jon Limbacher, Managing Director and President

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Artistic Director Kyu-Young Kim remembers former CEO Bruce Coppock