Symphoria managing director Catherine Underhill starts Sept. 1

SYRACUSE — Symphoria, the Central New York symphony orchestra formed in 2012 by musicians from the former Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, has hired Catherine Underhill as managing director.

Underhill, who starts work in this newly created position Sept. 1, will work with musicians and board members to build a new model for operation of a symphony orchestra in Central New York, according to a Symphoria news release

“Catherine comes to us after 11 successful years as executive director of the Colorado Music Festival & Center for Musical Arts,” Symphoria musician and board member Jon Garland, said in the release. “While her primary duties will focus on development and financial management, Catherine also has a leading role as we work together to create an innovative future for symphonic music.”  

As executive director of the Colorado Music Festival & Center for Musical Arts, Underhill was responsible for the successful merging of two arts organizations, the Colorado Music Festival and the Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts, the release stated. In addition, she led the combined organization to music-school enrollment and music-festival growth. She also created and managed an operating budget of $2 million annually, according to the release.

Underhill has more than 30 years experience in arts management, and has a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a master’s degree in art history from the University of Colorado at Boulder. 

Symphoria is the orchestra of Musical Associates of Central New York, a not-for-profit organization made up of nearly 50 members of the former Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. Symphoria performs at the Crouse Hinds Theatre in the John H. Mulroy Civic Center in Syracuse and other venues throughout the region. 

Contact Carbonaro at mcarbonaro@cnybj.com