NEW AND EXPANDED: Since its merger last month with The Princeton Festival, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) has expanded its board of trustees. From left are Princeton Festival Director Gregory J. Geehern, PSO Executive Director Marc Uys, PSO Board of Trustees Chair Stephanie Wedeking, and Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov.

Recently elected Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) Board of Trustees Chair Stephanie Wedeking notified fellow trustees, board advisors, and staff last week of the July 31 legal closing finalizing the merger of the orchestra and The Princeton Festival.

While Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Inc. is the surviving company, The Princeton Festival remains intact as the PSO’s flagship summer performing arts program. Festival board members and Festival personnel are transitioning to new roles within the PSO.

“As a team, we sought to honor both organizations and emerge unified and singular, whilst defying the rules of math for a 1+1=3 outcome,” said Wedeking. “Overall, it was a relatively seamless process, which is a testament to the compatibility and commitment of both organizations.”

In addition to chairing the PSO Board of Trustees, Wedeking serves on the development committee, has chaired many of PSO’s galas, and hosted numerous PSO special events at her home. She is philanthropically engaged in the Princeton community, has served on multiple charity event committees, and was previously on the board of Trenton Music Makers. In 2018, she founded a fundraising event, COSMOS, whose proceeds have helped fund various projects in Princeton. Previously, she was vice president and senior research analyst at Bessemer Trust Company, where she worked on all aspects of the firm’s internal hedge fund-of-funds programs. Prior to Bessemer, she worked in client services at Frank Russell Trust Company.

New trustees are former Festival board members Marcia Atcheson; Marcia Bossart; Thomas Lento; Anastasia Marty; Costa Papastephanou, a former Festival board chair; and Benedikt von Schröder, recent Festival board chair. Also joining the PSO board this season are Louise Wellemeyer and Mark Nurse, along with returning trustees Julian Grant and Anne VanLent, who was recently elected PSO board vice chair.

There is expectation for interim Festival Committee members to officially become Festival advisory board members following a PSO board vote in September. Former PSO Board Chair Yvonne Marcuse was instrumental in helping to bring about the merger, and will now serve with others in an advisory capacity.

Joining the PSO full-time staff are Festival Director Gregory J. Geehern and Eva Kastner-Puschl, who is new manager of special events and donor engagement. All Festival digital assets, i.e. website, social media platforms, etc., will be preserved, and will be administered by PSO staff. Preservation of patrons’ history of commitment and privacy is paramount as the PSO works to combine databases. The PSO will soon announce its fall performance schedule and a planned September fundraiser for The Princeton Festival being organized by the Festival’s volunteer Guild.