Meet our new executive director!
Turning the page on a new PRIZM chapter
July 30, 2021
PRIZM Music Camp and International Chamber Music Festival returns in smaller capacity but with full force
August 19, 2021
Our board of directors is pleased to announce Gavin Wigginson as PRIZM Ensemble’s new executive director! He will oversee all operations and strategic direction for PRIZM, as well as manage development, drive programming, recruit mentors and foster community partnerships to our vast youth outreach efforts.
“Gavin has devoted his career to inspiring youth to explore their musical abilities and open their eyes – and ears – to the countless elements of music,” said Abby Parrill, PRIZM’s board chair. “The board of directors selected Gavin for the role of executive director because of the influence he has made on younger generations, as well as for his exceptional leadership experiences. The board and I are confident that he will continue PRIZM Ensemble’s success in reaching more Mid-South students, building rapport among donors and strengthening the organization’s presence in Memphis.”In addition to serving as executive director for PRIZM, Gavin is the director of concert choir and a voice instructor at LeMoyne-Owen College. He previously served as a fellowship coach for Memphis Music Initiative, where he partnered with dozens of local schools and managed a team of music fellows who taught more than 750 students each semester.
No stranger to PRIZM Ensemble, Gavin sat as a panelist for our 2019 college audition preparation workshop, providing guidance to high school students on the rigorous audition process for entering collegiate-level music programs. His higher education experience also includes serving as an adjunct professor and later as a visiting professor for voice at Kentucky State University. He later returned to his hometown of Memphis to become the director of choirs at Kirby High School. Gavin has a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in vocal performance from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
“Enriching young people’s lives through music has always been a motivator throughout my career, and I’m thrilled to expand my journey with PRIZM Ensemble,” Gavin said. “PRIZM is an exemplary organization that has proven time and again that music education has a positive impact on students’ futures. I look forward to stepping into this role to continue driving PRIZM’s mission to bring quality music education into communities and schools and ensure our programming represents our city’s diverse makeup.”
Please join us in welcoming Gavin! You can reach him at [email protected].