Executive Director Alice Sauro began her tenure with the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera in early 2015. Her career spans 31 years as a violinist and subsequently as a manager with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and now the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera. A Juilliard-trained violinist, her career was cut short by injury, which opened up the opportunity for her to enter management opportunities, beginning with the position of Musical Director for the Nederlander-operated Fisher Theatre in Detroit. In 2007, Sauro was recruited by the DSO to join the operations team and later serve as Executive Assistant to DSO Music Director, Leonard Slatkin. Prior to her move to the Bay Area in the fall of 2014, she held the role of Orchestra Manager at the DSO.

Since her appointment in 2015, Sauro has led the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera to become a collaborative cultural pillar institution dedicated to serving the greater community. Under her leadership, the SP&O has expanded its programming to become a $2 million budget organization, while also achieving multiple balanced budgets and continually setting records in fundraising and ticket sales. Her successful transition to the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera comes at a time of tremendous growth for the Sacramento region and is met with a resurgence in arts awareness and a true dedication to establishing sustainable arts entities in the community.