MUMBAI: With effect from 1 January, 2016, David Bither will take over the responsibility of co-president for the 51-year old label-Nonesuch Records. The move was announced after it was decided that Nonesuch’s president Bob Hurwitz will gradually be stepping away from the day-to-day running of the company.
As soon as the transition is complete in 2017, Bither will be named sole president of the company. Hurwitz will continue serving as chairman emeritus and will work with select Nonesuch artists as an executive producer.
David Bither said, “I have had the privilege of working next to Bob Hurwitz for more than three decades. Much of what I know about the business – and even more, what I believe a record label can accomplish – comes from the daily conversations that Bob and I have had over the years. I take on this new responsibility with the single-minded intention of carrying on the tradition that has taken root here over the years. This is possible because of the colleagues whom I salute not just for their dedication to Nonesuch, but also for their unwavering commitment to the artists with whom we are so fortunate to work.”
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Bob Hurwitz said, “I have worked closely with David Bither for the last 30 years, and throughout that time he has been a terrific friend and colleague. He has made deeply meaningful contributions to Nonesuch and has been an integral part of our culture. Now that we have arrived at this moment, there is no-one more suited to take Nonesuch into the future. I am delighted that our artists, team and label will be in his hands.”
Bither started with the label in 1995 as SVP and was guiding the label’s A&R direction and forging its distinctive culture. He has signed likes of The Black Keys, Emmylou Harris, Wilco, Laurie Anderson, Rhiannon Giddens and the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Youssou N’Dour and Robert Plant, during his tenure. His list of credit includes bringing the World Circuit label to Nonesuch in North America, just before the label’s release in 1997 of the bestselling world music album, ‘Buena Vista Social Club’.
His contribution to the label started way back in the mid 1980s. He began serving as an advisor to the label’s newly appointed President, Bob Hurwitz, while at Warner Communications, Nonesuch’s parent company. In 1986, Bither moved to Warner’s Elektra Records division – where he first served as VP, international, followed by stints as VP, marketing, and SVP/GM.
WMG CEO Steve Cooper said, “The combination of his unique sensibility with the label’s tradition of outstanding artistry and quality ensures that the company will be in very good hands for many years to come.”
Prior to joining the Warner Music family, Bither was a musician, music journalist, and arts administrator. He holds a BS in Journalism from the University of Illinois-Urbana and an MA in Arts Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Warner Bros. Records chairman and CEO Cameron Strang said, “I know he (Bither) will take on his new post with a skill, grace, and dedication that will maintain Nonesuch’s special place in our industry, while continuing to expand its borders.”
