HICKORY, NC (September 23, 2021) — The Western Piedmont Symphony Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Dr. Martha Hill will serve as Interim Executive Director through the end of 2021.
This announcement comes as the current Executive Director, Ingrid Keller, was just recently named as Executive Director of the United Arts Council of Catawba County.
Dr. Hill has previously served as Executive Director for the Symphony in both interim and official capacities from 2014-2016.
“I am glad that I can help the Western Piedmont Symphony continue offering inspirational music experiences to the community, “says Dr. Hill. “I look forward to helping Maestro Matthew Troy maintain the organization’s upward trajectory while the search committee focuses on finding the right person to be the next Executive Director.”
She grew up in Marion and attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she earned her BM and MM degrees. She completed doctoral studies at Columbia University in New York City. After almost two decades as a principal, assistant principal, and Director of Special Programs in Hickory, Dr. Hill became the assistant superintendent of Cleveland County Schools in 2008.
Dr. Hill sang for many years with the Hickory Choral Society, and has been the organist at First Presbyterian Church since 1991. She plays and performs on the Celtic harp, and is the harper with the Celtic trio, Stone’s Throw. She and her husband, Ben, live in Hickory and have two grown daughters, Rebecca and Elizabeth.
Sharon Goodwin, President of the Board of Directors, says “We so appreciate Martha serving as Interim Executive Director. She knows and loves the Western Piedmont Symphony and will smooth the way as the Search Committee goes to work.”
D’Ann Grell is the Chair of the Executive Director Search Committee. “With an Interim Executive Director in place, it allows the committee to execute a thorough search that will have our next Executive Director hired and in the position by January, 2022.”
More details about the search, including application process, are available on the Symphony website – wpsymphony.org/employment.
Western Piedmont Symphony is a grant recipient of the North Carolina Arts Council and a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. Business offices are located on the SALT Block at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory. Box Office hours are 10:00 am until 4:00 pm daily. For more information about the Western Piedmont Symphony, call 828-324-8603, visit WPSymphony.org, or email info@WPSymphony.org.
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