Shawn Rieschl Johnson
Managing Director & COO
Shawn Rieschl Johnson is the Managing Director & COO of the Gulf Coast Symphony. Shawn is passionate about making a difference in the community through the arts. He has built a career in facilitating the artistic process while fostering new work and emerging voices.
As a longtime stage manager for Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Santa Fe Opera, Shawn was responsible for shepherding many productions of both new and traditional repertoire, including several world premieres. While working as Director of Production for The Atlanta Opera, Shawn helped launch a series of site-specific opera productions around that city, expanding the reach of the company and increasing audience engagement. Most recently, Shawn served as the Associate Director of the School of Music at Kennesaw State University, producing classical, jazz, and world music concerts which served the campus and surrounding community.
A graduate of Indiana University, Shawn holds an MBA from Kennesaw State University. He lives in Fort Myers with his husband Christian.