Director leaving Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra in May

The executive director of the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra is leaving the Eastside group, the president of the orchestra's board said.

Jennifer McCausland has been with the group since February 2008. She is working on an upcoming conference and plans to leave in mid-May, Chairman Dale Miller said.

An interim director will be announced soon, and the group may delay a search for a new executive director until the fall, he said.

In March, the orchestra canceled its spring Masterworks concert and said contributions and ticket sales would not cover production costs. It also suspended its concerts for schoolkids.

But the orchestra is still scheduled to have its season finale May 17 and a Fourth of July concert, and planning is under way for next season, Miller said.

The information in this article, originally published April 26, 2009, was corrected July 15, 2009. The name of the departing executive director of the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra is Jennifer McCausland. Her first name in a brief story in Sunday's paper was incorrect.