The 29-year-old Provancher acknowledged in an interview with the Courier-Journal that he has received mixed reviews for his leadership. "I know other people certainly [have] their own perspective on whether what I've done in two years has moved the orchestra forward," he said. "I gave it my absolutely best shot."

In January, after musicians rejected a management proposal, Provancher cut contract negotiations short and announced that the orchestra would hire a bankruptcy lawyer. Talks have since resumed with the help of a mediator, but have stalled over management's insistence that the orchestra needs to reduce the number of full-time musicians.

Board chairman Joseph Pusateri told the Courier-Journal that Provancher's departure "makes the situation more difficult" and suggested that board members may need to take a larger role. Robert McGrath, the orchestra's general manager, is also leaving, to become a vice president of the St. Louis Symphony.