Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS) has selected John Holloway as Executive Director, following an executive search process led by Arts Consulting Group (ACG). He will begin his tenure on September 6, 2021.
Since 2014, Mr. Holloway has served as Managing Director of the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival based at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. In addition to greatly expanding both its season and its supporting budget, he created and developed Winter Workshop. This annual week-long intensive chamber music experience brings together approximately 25 participants from hundreds of applicants representing some of the best up-and-coming classical music talent from around the globe. Under Mr. Holloway’s leadership, Four Seasons expanded to offer a full concert season in Raleigh. During the pandemic, he helped the organization pivot to a virtual festival to present concerts, courses, master classes, and more. Mr. Holloway also initiated a project in which Four Seasons assisted the community with vaccination efforts, creating the Dose of Hope Concert Series in partnership with Vidant Medical Center to present twice-daily concerts at the Greenville COVID mass vaccine clinic.
A strong proponent of music education, Mr. Holloway is President and Co-Founder of Vivace Music Foundation, an organization dedicated to producing the highest level of music education to aspiring young artists regardless of their financial resources. Vivace’s debut season flourished with a virtual festival serving more than 160 students. For nearly a decade, he has also served as Associate Director of the Southeastern Piano Festival at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Mr. Holloway earned a bachelor of music in piano performance from East Tennessee State University and a master of music in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Northern Iowa School of Music.
In making the announcement, board member and Head of the Search Task Force Susan Detweiler said, “From our first conversation, John Holloway impressed the Search Task Force as the most outstanding candidate for the Executive Director position. We are thrilled to welcome him to Seattle and SCMS.”
Artistic Director James Ehnes added, “I’m tremendously excited about the appointment of John Holloway as the next Executive Director of Seattle Chamber Music Society. John’s advocacy for chamber music, not just as an art form but also as an integral and important part of a healthy and thriving community, is inspiring. I believe he is an ideal leader for this exciting new chapter for SCMS, as we open our Center for Chamber Music to the public and return to live performances for our beloved audiences.”
“It is a great honor to be stepping into the role of Executive Director at the Seattle Chamber Music Society,” said Mr. Holloway. “SCMS has a long and distinguished history of excellence and I look forward to working with the board, staff, and musicians to immerse the city of Seattle in world-class chamber music.”
“Congratulations to John Holloway as he joins Seattle Chamber Music Society as its new Executive Director,” said ACG Vice President Shawn Ingram. “Mr. Holloway’s combination of ambition, leadership, hard work, and musicianship has placed him at the forefront of the intersection of chamber music and education, cementing his reputation as a visionary leader within classical music.”
August 2021