The Richmond Symphony has announced two new appointments to its leadership team; the Symphony welcomes Jennifer Arnold as its new director of Artistic Planning and Orchestral Operations, and Walter Bitner as its new director of Education and Community Engagement.
Jennifer Arnold comes to the Symphony to oversee its artistic administration, concert production and matters related to orchestra personnel. A Cleveland, Ohio native, Arnold has served most recently as director of Artistic Operations for Portland, Oregon’s 45th Parallel Universe and Second Violist of the Oregon Symphony. She recently finished her tenure as state chapter president of the American String Teachers Association of Oregon, has served on the faculty of the Sphinx Performance Academy and Portland Summer Ensembles, and was the first Sphinx Diversity Fellow pursuing a career in arts administration. She holds a Bachelor of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Walter Bitner joins the Symphony to oversee its Education initiatives, including school-based programs and the Symphony’s Youth Orchestras, as well as its Community Engagement Programs anchored by the “Big Tent.” Bitner joins the Symphony after a successful five-year stint in a similar role as director of Education and Community Engagement for the Nashville Symphony, in Nashville, Tennessee, where he established its award-winning Accelerando program. He has also served as director of Choral and Orchestral programs with the Nashville School of the Arts and founded the Music City Youth Orchestra. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Charter Oak State College in New Britain, Connecticut and teacher certification training at Belmont University in Nashville.
