About NPO
OUR Mission:
The Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra (NPO) is a volunteer community orchestra committed to bringing free, high caliber concerts to area neighborhoods while providing musicians the opportunity to learn, connect, and play.
Our Vision
The Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra (NPO) embraces a vision to positively impact its members and audiences through the preparation and performance of distinctive orchestral literature. A core belief is that live music is an art form that has the potential to engage its presenters and consumers in a way that wonderfully and deeply affects the soul and contributes to fullness and well-being.
We envision a world where experiencing orchestral music together fulfills creative expression, builds community, and expands the horizons of all who participate, as musicians and as audience members.
Our Values
● Artistry. We support our members in pursuing musical excellence both individually and as an ensemble and are committed to providing high caliber performances.
● Community. We intentionally cultivate a warm and welcoming atmosphere for both our musicians and our audiences to build connection and belonging through music.
● Accessibility. We actively make symphonic music accessible and approachable to as many people as possible, both as musicians who play with NPO and to the diverse community audiences for whom we perform.
● Inclusivity. We treat every one with humanity and respect, and work to ensure every member and listener feels heard and valued. We strive to select pieces that reflect the diversity of Nashville.
● Service. We serve each other and the community by learning about, playing, and experiencing high quality symphonic music.
● Learning. We value learning together over technical perfection. We bring audiences along by sharing the story of symphonic music as well as the performances.
● Integrity. We are committed to organizational excellence and transparency in all we do, stewarding the NPO for musicians and audiences to come.
Our History
The NPO was founded in January 2004 by Kelly Corcoran, who conducted the first season. Under Mark Putnam from 2004-2007, the orchestra grew to become Nashville’s premiere community ensemble, performing concerts of exciting, demanding repertoire for all audiences. During the Fall of 2007, violinist and charter member of the NPO, David Hahn served as Music Director, raising community awareness and support for the orchestra. In the spring of 2008, Chris Norton took up the baton to lead the NPO, and he continues advancing the mission of community outreach and musical excellence.
This ensemble offers players of differing levels and backgrounds the opportunity to make music together. The Nashville Philharmonic performs a diverse mix of repertoire – different genres and styles anchored in the classical tradition. Players in the Nashville Philharmonic collaborate with the Music Director in making repertoire decisions. The orchestra features area soloists and new music by local composers and also sponsors annual concerto and composition competitions.
New players are always welcome to inquire about membership in the orchestra!
Our Staff
Alan Fey
Executive Director
Executive Director Alan Fey joined the NPO in February 2019 as Operations Assistant, and was named its first full-time staff in July 2024. Alan is an arts administrator, percussionist, composer, arranger, and conductor who specializes in performance logistics and performing solo and chamber music. In addition to his role with the NPO, Alan is Co-Founder and Director of Make Music Nashville and has previously worked with GRAMMY-Nominated ALIAS Chamber Ensemble and Portara Ensemble. He is also actively involved in advocating for equity in arts and cultural funding, especially from local government funding sources.
Based in Nashville, his performing focus is on the creation of new music, having been involved in the commissioning and world premieres of over thirty works. Alan has performed in spaces ranging from the Zeitgeist Art Gallery to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center to Carnegie Hall. Alan studied primarily with NPO Music Director Chris Norton while earning his Bachelor & Master of Music degrees in percussion performance. He spent a year in Dresden studying with Bernhard Schmidt, timpanist with the Dresdner Staatskapelle at the Hochschule für Musik, which included multiple performances at the Dresden Semperoper. A core musician with ALIAS Chamber Ensemble, Alan has also performed with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Opera, Nashville Ballet, INTERSECTION, Paramount Chamber Players, as a concerto soloist with the NPO (he won our first Concerto Competition!) and Belmont Symphony Orchestras, in various chamber settings, and as a soloist and clinician throughout the southeast.
Alan directed the Nashville premiere of John Luther Adams’ Inuksuit in 2015. Alan has arranged over a dozen works for solo voice, choir, percussion, organ, piano, double bass, handbells, and combinations of two or more of those. He recently completed a full-length Latin requiem mass for a cappella chorus.
Alan will be attending the League of American Orchestras’ National Conference in June 2026 for the first time! This learning and networking experience is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Board of Directors
2025-2026
*NPO Musician
+Ex officio member
Joseph Awad*, Secretary
Daniel Bondaczuk
Tibby Christenberry*
Joe Gomez
Eric Hawkins
Erin Holt*
Daniel Judy, Vice Chair
Dustin Kovacic*
Mickey Rybiski*
Elias Salazar
Matthew Smith, Treasurer
Rebecca Teel*
Yurina Yoshikawa*, Chair
Chris Norton, Music Director+
Elizabeth Jones*, Director of Happiness+
Emeritus Board:
Kelly Corcoran, Founding Music Director
Financials & Reports
Annual Reports
Advocacy for the Arts
The Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra believes that our communities are strengthened through the arts, and that we can make great art communally.
The NPO is proud to be a member of Americans for the Arts, Tennesseans for the Arts, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, and the League of American Orchestras.
