After an intense search with highly qualified candidates both locally and from around the country, the Austin Chamber Music Center is pleased to announce the appointments of Frank Jenkins to Managing Director and Sandy Yamamoto to Artistic Director.
“Austin Chamber Music Center has been a driving force in the classical music scene in Austin for over 40 years,” says Frank. “I am honored to join this esteemed and impactful organization and look forward to contributing to the next chapter of its history.” Frank Jenkins has been an influential figure in Austin’s classical music scene for over a decade. Beginning June 10, 2024, he will take on the role of Managing Director at the Austin Chamber Music Center. In his previous role as Program Director for Austin Soundwaves, Frank led the day-to-day operations and strategic growth of school and community-based programs, benefiting over 1,100 students and community members annually. Frank has also previously held administrative positions and served on committees with the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
Violinist Sandy Yamamoto will begin the Artistic Directorship of ACMC in September 2024. She has dazzled audiences in concert performances around the globe for the past three decades as a soloist and as a member of the Miró Quartet. The New York Times describes her performance as playing with “explosive vigor and technical finesse.” With the Quartet, she performed on the major concert stages of the world, regularly concertizing in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. She was a recipient of the Naumburg Chamber Music and Cleveland Quartet Awards, won First Prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition, and was one of the first chamber musicians to be awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant. Currently, she is Associate Professor of Practice in Violin Performance at the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin and was the recipient of the 2016 Butler School of Music Teaching Excellence Award.
“It is a privilege and an honor to become the new Artistic Director of the Austin Chamber Music Center. Chamber music, education, and performing are all very important in my life, and I am excited to be able to combine my passions to serve the community of Austin. I look forward to collaborating with my new team, meeting more people, sharing inspirational music from artists from around the world, and making Austin Chamber Music Center an even bigger hub for chamber music in Austin.”
The search was led by a Board-appointed committee with Daryl Fox as the chair, together with Carl Caricari, Edwina Carrington, Eric Wittek, Ken Whiteside, and Michelle Schumann. “We are thrilled for the appointments of Frank and Sandy. ACMC will have a strong and imaginative future and we will continue to be a force in serving our community through chamber music performance, education, and community engagement,” says Carl Caricari, ACMC Board President. Michelle Schumann, ACMC’s current Artistic Director until August 31, 2024 says, “I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Sandy Yamamoto and Frank Jenkins to the leadership of the Austin Chamber Music Center. Our strong history in creativity and engagement is going to forge confidently into the future with Sandy and Frank at the helm. They are both incredibly skilled and dedicated and I can’t wait to see what’s in store!”