Sophie Galaise joined the MSO as its first female Managing Director in April 2016.

Sophie has been on the board of Symphony Services International since 2013 and became its Chair in November 2021. She is a member of the Advisory Council of the Harvard Business Review, the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Chief Executive Women and the CEO Institute in Australia. She is also a member of the International Advisory Committee of the only Master in International Arts Management (MMIAM), a program offered by Southern Methodist University (Dallas), SDA Bocconi (Milan) and HEC (Montreal). This unique program trains the next generation of managers and prepares them to work abroad or with foreign organisations.

Two-time winner, in 2019 of the Australian Financial Review and Qantas and in 2015 of the Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 Women of Influence Awards, she is renowned for her extensive experience working with orchestras, not only at the executive level, but also as a professional musician and musicologist.

In 2019, she was invited to participate in the 2019 Perpetual Stanford CEO Study Tour in San Francisco. Along with other leaders from Australia, North America and Europe, she took part in a week of activities and learning with Stanford’s Centre on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS) exploring the theme, Transforming Anxiety into Active Leadership.

Prior to her appointment to the MSO, Sophie was Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Previous roles include Executive Director of the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, Executive and Artistic Director of the Orford Arts Centre and Music Coordinator for the Quebec Arts Council. In 2022 she was appointed Honorary Consul for Canada in Melbourne.

Starting her career as a flautist in Germany, she also worked in Switzerland and France with Pierre Boulez.

Native from Quebec, Canada, Sophie has a PhD in Musicology from the University of Montreal and an Executive MBA from McGill University/HEC Montreal.