Joseph Oerke has been promoted to executive vice president, Decca Records U.S., the Verve Label Group announced on Tuesday (April 16).
“I love classical music,” Oerke said in a statement. “In fact, I moved to New York to study oboe and got my first job in the gift shop at the Metropolitan Opera. I think that everyone can find at least one piece of classical music that stirs emotions and part of my job is to bring this music to more people. Leading this storied label is a dream for me.”
Dickon Stainer, president and CEO of Verve Label Group, added that “Joseph is propelling Decca U.S. into a new era as the leading classical record company in America.”
“With his boundless experience and formidable team-building skills, Joseph is perfectly positioned to serve the finest classical artists of the world, and their passionate US audiences,” Stainer said.
In 2023, Decca Records was responsible for 47% of the classical albums chart based on consumption, according to Luminate. The company also notched a single-week US sales record for a classical album on vinyl with Joe Hisaishi’s A Symphonic Celebration: Music From The Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki.
“There is a massive population of people who listen to instrumental and classical music during activities like meditation, yoga, cooking dinner, studying and so much more,” Oerke told Billboard last year. “We’ve intensely focused on these spaces and created opportunities to highlight the genre.”
Oerke has also been passionate about using social media platforms to power the spread of classical music. “We are constantly monitoring trends and daily activity on social platforms like TikTok, Reels and Shorts and with our deep understanding of fan behavior we can double down on our consumer-led marketing,” he said in 2023. “Elevating [user generated content] with initiatives like influencer campaigns and plugging our artists and music into relevant cultural trends are just a few ways we work to position our artists at the forefront of online culture to give their music a chance to stand out amongst the thousands of tracks released every day.”