CHESTERTOWN — Hallie Emerson has been appointed deputy director of the National Music Festival, effective immediately, the organization announced in a news release Aug. 26.
In this leadership role, Emerson will oversee critical administrative and programmatic functions for both the summer festival and year-round initiatives, including the Resonance Concert Series and the upcoming relaunch of the Fiddlesticks! youth strings program.
“We are thrilled to welcome Hallie as our deputy director,” NMF Executive Director Caitlin Patton said in the news release.
Emerson was invaluable to the National Music Festival in a part-time role for several years, according to Patton.
And as the festival grows, Emerson “brings much-needed hands-on experience in classical music administration that will allow us to further strengthen our efforts and expand even further,” Patton said.
Emerson holds a Master of Science in management studies from the University of Maryland, where she also worked in development and community engagement at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.
She has an undergraduate degree in clarinet performance with a minor in business administration from the University of Southern Maine.
According to the news release, Emerson’s passion for arts administration began as an undergraduate. When Emerson encountered her clarinet mentor Tom Parchman, who is the National Music Festival’s director of operations and a board member, he encouraged her to pursue her passion for arts administration at the National Music Festival and passed along her name to Patton.
“My ultimate goal is to support the festival’s efforts to reach as many lives as possible and to help the organization build a sustainable future,” Emerson said in the news release. “We want to continue offering a space for musicians to learn and expand their talents while providing world-class performances to our community.”
Emerson will assist in such areas as onboarding of festival apprentices, coordinating their housing and travel, grant research, donor communications, marketing and helping to restart the Fiddlesticks! program, which provides Kent County youth the opportunity to learn to play a string instrument at no cost to their families.
According to its website, the National Music Festival, based in Chestertown, advances the lives and careers of promising musicians by providing access to world-class education and performance opportunities. The festival combines world-class mentor musicians and gifted young professional apprentice musicians for an intense musical experience.
All apprentices receive full scholarships and housing, mostly with host families in private homes.
Dates for the 2026 festival are May 31 to June 13.
The National Music Festival is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council, Kent Cultural Alliance, Mid-Shore Community Foundation, The Peoples Bank and by tax-deductible contributions from music lovers.
For more information, visit nationalmusic.us, email info@nationalmusic.us or call 443-480-0221.
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The Resonance Concert Series brings five high-quality, intimate performances to Chestertown each year, October through April. Concerts take place on Sundays
at 3 p.m. in the parish hall of St. Paul’s, Kent.
The lineup of artists for the 2025-2026 season is printed here.
Oct. 26, 2025: Ayreheart
Nov. 16, 2025: Francesca Anderegg (violin) and Joy Cline Phinney (piano)
Feb. 22, 2026: Matchstick Percussion
March 15, 2026: Jennifer Parker-Harley (flute) and Camilo Carrara (guitar)
April 12, 2026: Manuel Barrueco (guitar)
Resonance tickets and season passes for Resonance and the 2026 festival will go on sale Monday, Sept. 1.
