Springfield Symphony Orchestra Hires Kim Collins, Caitlin Meyer
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) announced the recent hiring of two new staff members: Kim Collins, Audience Development and Community Engagement manager; and Caitlin Meyer, Education director. Collins will work to create community connections for the SSO and engage new audiences, while Meyer will be responsible for bringing back the hosting of SSO educational performances for public-school students as well as creating new educational programming for the organization.
Kim Collins
Collins joined the SSO in October. She most recently served as director of Member Services with the Connecticut River Valley Chamber of Commerce. In that role, she was the first point of contact for all member relations, led the ambassador team, and revised and refreshed member benefits, onboarding, and retention. She also facilitated networking and member-orientation events, as well as ribbon cuttings, and planned large events for the chamber.
Collins has also been a performing artist and educator her entire life. As a flutist, she has performed with the SSO for more than 25 years and also served as the SSO’s orchestra librarian for several years. Apart from the SSO, she has performed solo engagements and performed as a pit musician both on Broadway and with nationally touring shows.
As an educator, Collins has held faculty positions at Choate Rosemary Hall, Fairfield University, the Hartt School Community Division, the Neighborhood School of Music, and Southern Connecticut State University, in addition to directing her private music studio. She has also been a guest teaching artist for the El Sistema-inspired Bravo! Waterbury program and has presented arts-integration programs to students at schools throughout Connecticut and beyond.
Caitlin Meyer
Meyer is an educational leader, music educator, and professional musician who has taught in China, Tanzania, Israel, and Australia. Before joining the SSO, she served as director of Programs for a charter school in Bridgeport, Conn., where she worked closely with the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants to build out arts-integrative, culturally responsive programs for newcomer students.
In addition to her work as an educational leader, Meyer founded the Qingdao Visual and Performing Arts Educators Assoc., which has allowed students of every background in China to participate in district-wide arts initiatives as well as international travel opportunities to Singapore, the U.S., and Australia. The nonprofit now focuses on teacher development and arts integration for teachers from 13 countries.
Prior to her work in Qingdao, Meyer was the music director at Saint Bernard School in Uncasville, Conn. for seven years, where she grew the music program to include well over half of the student population. Under her direction, the music program was honored to perform at prestigious locations around the world, including at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, the USS Intrepid and Saint Patrick Cathedral in New York City, Disney World in Orlando, Fla., and the National Mall in Washington, D.C. She is a current doctoral student at DePaul University in Chicago, studying educational leadership.
“We are thrilled to have Kim and Caitlin join our SSO team,” said Paul Lambert, president and CEO of the SSO. “Both bring a diversity of musical and organizational experience that will serve the SSO and our community well. Kim is a musician herself and has worked with the business community and will help us engage and grow our audience. Caitlin, also a musician, is a music educator with a broad background in music education and will be instrumental for the SSO in re-establishing our relationships with local schools and young people in the region.”
