By Eric Dundon
Unitey Kull is no stranger to the arts. She served as the Executive Director of the Manhattan New Music Project in New York City before serving for 10 years at the Contemporary Arts Museum St. Louis (CAM).
Now, she is bringing talent to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as the new Vice President of Marketing and Audience Experience. SLSO President and CEO Marie-Hélène Bernard announced the appointment, which took effect on August 15.
“I am thrilled to join the SLSO. As a longtime admirer, I have been impressed with the SLSO’s incredible artistic talent, innovative programming, and deep community engagement,” Kull said.
An MBA recipient from the George Washington University, Kull joins the SLSO after serving for
ten years as the Director of Marketing, Communications, and Visitor Experience for CAM.
“Unitey brings exceptional strategic leadership in all facets of marketing to the SLSO team, including brand strategy, partnership development, and visitor experience,” Bernard said. “With a long track record of success and deep knowledge of the St. Louis arts and culture landscape, I know she will be an asset to me and our team. We are committed to creating remarkable concert experiences for all SLSO audiences and under Unitey’s leadership, I look forward to continuing the SLSO’s tradition of welcoming for all.”
At CAM, she led a cross-functional team and was responsible for the strategic marketing and communications direction of the museum, as well as oversaw improvements to the visitor experience. Under her guidance, attendance at CAM nearly doubled since 2011.
“Under Marie-Hélène Bernard’s visionary leadership, the institution is poised for exciting change,” Kull said. “I look forward to partnering with her and the SLSO team to create extraordinary concert experiences and connect with audiences in St. Louis and beyond.”
Born in Pittsburgh and raised in the suburbs of Toronto, Brisbane, and Washington, DC, Kull lives in Tower Grove South.
The SLSO ended its 2021/2022 season with more than 120,000 tickets issued to concerts at the orchestra’s home at Powell Hall, with millions more reached by the SLSO’s digital programming and social media. Over the past 10 years, the number of households engaged with the SLSO has tripled from 25,000 to more than 75,000 each season. The institution reported $7.758 million in philanthropic giving in FY21, which followed two years of record giving by the St. Louis community, with $8.06 million raised for the Annual Fund in FY20, up from a record $8.01 million in FY19.
Kull succeeds David Nischwitz, who served in the position from 2014 to 2022.
Eric Dundon is the SLSO’s Public Relations Manager.