Executive Director
Betsy Fitzgerald
Ms. Betsy Fitzgerald brings her zeal for the performing arts to the Virginia Chorale as the organization's first executive director. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Goucher College's Arts Administration program, Ms. Fitzgerald's music career as a harpist and her management career in the arts developed simultaneously.
At the Eastman School, Ms. Fitzgerald helped found an outreach orchestra and managed numerous other student ensembles. As a harpist in the prestigious Disney-Grammy Collegiate Orchestra, she worked with world-class vocalists such as Jodi Benson, Judy Kuhn, Susan Egan, and Robbie Benson. Her husband's career brought them to Tokyo, Japan where Betsy honed her management skills further.
Betsy founded the Vivace Performing Arts Program in 2000 to further arts programming on US Military installations in the Pacific. At Yokota Air Base, the Vivace Performing Arts Program became the must-see event of the summer as the children of the base put on wildly successful music, dance, and art performances. She hired the finest faculty, including Broadway singers, and graduates from the Julliard School and the Eastman School of Music, creating a world-class educational program. Thanks to generous donations, many of the students received scholarships and grants to attend the program, making it accessible to all.
While in Japan, Ms. Fitzgerald was also the Director of USO Yokota. Responsible for USO activities spanning 6 military installations in Japan, Betsy's hard work ensured that servicemembers far from home always felt "at home." She spearheaded a gala ball honoring the finest servicemembers from both the US and the Japanese military. Working with sponsors such as Northwest Airlines , Coca-Cola and MCI, the ball showcased the warm friendship between the United States and Japan.
Now, Ms. Fitzgerald brings her international experience and dynamic personality to the Virginia Chorale. Excited to be working with a world class performing group, she relishes the opportunity to expand on the Chorale's many successes.