FISCHOFF NATIONAL CHAMBER MUSIC ASSOCIATION NAMES JOSH AERIE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Notre Dame, IN (July 24, 2025) – The Fischoff National Chamber Music Association President Harriet Hamer, on behalf of the Board of Directors, and Artistic Director Thomas Rosenberg, have appointed Josh Aerie as its newest Executive Director, beginning September 2nd, 2025.

Josh Aerie is a nonprofit executive, cellist, chamber musician, and symphonic conductor who is passionate about bringing music into the lives of others. Throughout his diverse career, Aerie has worked to harness the power of the musical arts to catalyze and transform communities.

Prior to his appointment as Executive Director of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Association, Aerie was Executive Director of The Music Village, a community musical arts center and school in downtown South Bend, Indiana, a position he held for over 10 years. Under his leadership, The Music Village saw significant institutional growth, with exponential increases in enrollment, programming, philanthropy, facilities, and partnerships.

Aerie also founded the Woodland Chamber Music Workshop, an annual summer festival for adult musicians in northern Minnesota. Since 2007, the Workshop has attracted participants from across the country for a week of intensive chamber ensemble coaching, seminars, and performances with faculty.

Beyond his administrative leadership, Aerie maintains an active performance career as cellist in the Sylvan Trio, a flute-cello-piano ensemble that performs throughout the U.S. Founded in 2013, The Trio can be heard on classical radio and streaming services across the globe, including over 25 features on Performance Today, the nation’s most listened-to classical music radio program. The Sylvans are strong proponents for new music and underrepresented composers and are known for dynamic performances that blur the line between stage and audience.

The Sylvan Trio

As a conductor, Aerie has served as music director of symphonies in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin. Most recently, he was Music Director of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Indiana’s oldest ensemble, where he instituted live-streamed educational programming, a regional youth concerto competition, and a nationwide composition competition. While living in Minnesota, Aerie served on the music faculties of the University of Wisconsin Superior, College of St. Scholastica, and Minnesota North College. He also co-founded the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra, served as Chair of the state’s largest Arts Council, and was Advisor to the Minnesota State Arts Board.

Aerie completed undergraduate degrees at Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music and was cellist in the graduate string quartet at the University of Colorado Boulder where he studied with the Takács Quartet and earned a Master of Music.

Aerie is stepping into the role following Interim Executive Director and Fischoff Board Member Don Crafton, who succeeded Scott Campbell in early 2025. Fischoff’s Board President, Harriet Hamer, remarked, “On behalf of the Fischoff organization, staff, and Board Directors, we welcome cellist Mr. Josh Aerie as the newly appointed Fischoff Chamber Music Association Executive Director. We are grateful for the thoughtful nominating committee process that brought Mr. Aerie’s impressive candidacy to Fischoff. We look forward to Josh‘s leadership as together, we expand, grow, and promote the Fischoff mission, vision, and values of chamber music excellence and education.“

Tom Rosenberg, Artistic Director of Fischoff since 1981, said, “I am excited to welcome Josh as our new Executive Director and for the energy and wisdom he will bring to the organization. I look forward to getting to know him and working together as the Fischoff moves forward into this next chapter.” 

In anticipation of joining the team, Aerie stated, “As a long-time admirer of the Fischoff, its unparalleled impact on chamber music worldwide, and commitment to community enrichment, I’m deeply honored to join the Fischoff team as Executive Director. The ethos of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Association aligns directly with my own as a chamber music advocate, educator, performer, and administrative leader. I’m excited to work with the staff, board of directors, and advisory board to steward the Fischoff into its next chapter of growth and success.

“Chamber music has the power to inspire, promote interpersonal connections, enhance cultural understanding, build community, and evoke joy. I’m eager to perpetuate and grow Fischoff’s impactful legacy in these ways and more in the years ahead.”

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Media Contact:
Geneviéve Carreño, Program & Marketing Manager
genevieve@fischoff.org

ABOUT FISCHOFF 

Founded in South Bend, IN, in 1973, the Fischoff National Chamber Music Association hosts the Fischoff Competition, the largest and longest-running chamber music competition in the nation. More than 8,400 musicians have participated, many of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in music performance and education. 

This unique arts organization has secured its place as the nation’s premier educational chamber music competition because of the caliber of its jurors, performance venues, and well-known alumni. It is also known for extensive outreach programming during the competition and throughout the year. The Fischoff uniquely partners with competition alumni to bring free, innovative music programs directly to children in their own schools and community centers. Since 1995, these programs have served over 100,000 community children, reaching more than 4,000 underserved youth annually.