Newly Elected Board Vice Chair Althea Alviar Lee Joins New Chair Wendy Lewis to Lead Orchestra’s Board
Chicago Sinfonietta is pleased to announce the election of Althea Alviar Lee as its new Vice Chair, succeeding Genhi Givings Bailey, who served in this capacity since 2022. Lee joins newly elected Board Chair Wendy Lewis, President and CEO Sidney Jackson—whose tenure with the organization began earlier this summer—and Music Director Mei-Ann Chen to create a diverse quartet of executive, board, and artistic leadership that is unmatched in the field.
Together, the orchestra’s leaders are dedicated to ensuring that founder Paul Freeman’s mission for the Sinfonietta—to create a culturally responsive organization that advocates for inclusivity in all aspects of its work—is carried forward, as well as to the ideal that those values are embodied at all levels of the organization, on stage and off.
Chicago Sinfonietta’s new President and CEO Sidney Jackson, who joined the Sinfonietta in May, said, “This moment is a true inflection point for our esteemed organization, as we begin an inspired 2025-26 season designed by Maestra Chen. I’m thrilled to have Wendy and Althea as two outstanding partners to lead the Board in our collective efforts to embrace excellence—both artistic and otherwise—while further entrenching ourselves in the greater Chicago communities. Both of these outstanding leaders bring a wide range of perspectives and deep executive experience to our team, and we are energized for an exciting year of imaginative, thoughtful programs and educational initiatives.”
Althea Alviar Lee, incoming Board Vice Chair, said, “I was drawn to Chicago Sinfonietta by the feeling of community and connection that its performances create for everyone in the audience. I have experienced firsthand the impact of the Sinfonietta’s work and am honored to have a role on the Board that allows me to help amplify it and create more connections through community engagement.”
As a board member, Lee has served as secretary and on the Nominating & Governance, Finance, and Executive Committees. She was the founding chair of the Sinfonietta’s Associates Board prior to her appointment to the Board of Directors in 2016, and brings many years of experience in human resources and talent management to her role.
“It makes me so proud to lead an organization such as this one that is so well aware of and connected to its legacy,” said Board Chair Wendy Lewis. “Looking ahead, it’s our intent that the Sinfonietta’s mission be embedded across all areas of our organization—through administration, performances, and community engagement initiatives—so that we have the opportunity to carry this distinguished legacy forward.”
Lewis has served on various committees of the Chicago Sinfonietta’s Board since 2016 and was elected as Chair of the Board this summer. She served as interim CEO during the organization’s search for President and CEO, and brings decades of experience in the diversity and inclusion space from her work with Major League Baseball and McDonald’s to her Board role.
Chicago Sinfonietta’s 2025-26 season is underway, and features five subscription programs, each performed in a distinguished Chicago venue— Studebaker Theater, Mandel Hall, The Auditorium, Harris Theater, and Pick-Saiger Hall—and in Naperville at Wentz Auditorium at North Central College.
