STATE COLLEGE — The board of the Nittany Valley Symphony announced on Wednesday, Aug. 14, that Gabriel Herrera was named as the new executive director .
“We are excited to begin working with Gabriel Herrera,” Lisa Schroeder, board president, shared in a statement on Wednesday, Aug. 14. “People in this area may know him as an outstanding trombonist, but his experience goes well beyond performing. From the moment the search committee saw his resume, we saw the potential for him to partner with music director Timothy Farrand to take our community symphony orchestra to the next level and reach new audiences.”
Herrera will replace Roberta Strebel, who served as executive director for 17 years prior to retiring. Herrera holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and jazz studies from Columbia University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Music in trombone performance from Penn State and works as a graduate assistant for the trombone and jazz departments.
Herrera has experience performing with the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra, Buzz Jones Big Band and Happy Valley Jazz Octet. He also has work experience with investment firm Hunter Point Capital, Bank of America and consulting firm Cervitude Intelligent Relations.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the team at NVS and am looking forward to bringing classical music to our Happy Valley community,” Herrera said. “This pivotal year as the symphony continues to re-establish itself in a post-pandemic landscape provides an opportunity to set a new status quo: as a community orchestra made up of both professionals and amateur musicians, we have the opportunity not only to entertain but also to connect, challenge and uplift.
“I hope to build upon Nittany Valley Symphony’s rich legacy of success by leveraging data-driven strategies to ensure institutional stability and solidify our status as one of Pennsylvania’s premier community orchestras.”
The Nittany Valley Symphony will hold its first performance of the season at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8, at the Bellefonte Area High School.
