Orchestra of St. Luke's Names New Director of Education & Community and Graphic Designer

Orchestra of St. Luke's is pleased to announce two additions to its management team. Gary Padmore has been named Director of Education & Community, and Julia Gang has been hired as Graphic Designer / Media Production Manager.

Gary Padmore comes to OSL from New York-based Midori & Friends, where he served as associate director of programs, providing music enrichment and instrumental instruction programs to more than 40 sites throughout New York City. He previously held positions in the Brooklyn Philharmonic's education department, was a teaching artist at the Queens Museum of Art and Police Athletic League, and was an adjunct lecturer at Queens College. His broad teaching experiences have led him to public schools in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Long Island. A trumpet player and native New Yorker, Padmore has a bachelor's degree in music from Queens College, a master's degree from Mannes College, and an advanced certificate in music education from Queens College.

Padmore will be responsible for developing and overseeing the OSL's seminal 40-year-old educational programs, partnerships, and performances, with a focus on evolving Youth Orchestra of St. Luke's (YOSL)-the orchestra's intensive in- and after-school instrumental coaching program emphasizing musical excellence and social development, launched in 2013. OSL's Education & Community programs engage both children and adults, from the Free School Concerts performed for 10,000 public school students each year, to the Amateur Musicians Project (AMP), which places adult non-professional musicians in chamber music groups and matches them with an OSL coach. The Education & Community programs reach across the five boroughs with the annual free Subway Series concerts, and serve OSL's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood with free interactive music programs at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music.

Padmore's diverse teaching experiences and ability to connect with students make him the ideal candidate to lead YOSL through its growth and expansion. In the coming year, YOSL will introduce an intermediate string ensemble for current students at Police Athletic League (PAL), while welcoming new students into its beginning ensemble. YOSL will also launch a wind ensemble at PAL, providing instruction on flute and clarinet. Committed to the continued musical and social development of the students it has formed strong relationships with over the past two years, YOSL will add a middle school program at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, for current members graduating elementary school.

"The arts are an integral part of every child's education, as they ensure a well-rounded experience and provide resources that will enable them to actively participate in society," says Padmore. "I am incredibly honored to continue my work and further deepen my commitment to this field at Orchestra of St. Luke's."

Julia Gang comes to OSL from HarperCollins Publishers, where she is an assistant designer. Gang previously worked for Random House, Inc. and Brooklyn-based Umbrage Editions. She studied oboe and earned her bachelor's degree in music from Northwestern University while concurrently taking coursework in art and design. She has continued her studies in communications design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Gang will be responsible for the artistic direction and design of OSL's communications, and for the production and management of all print, digital, and audio-visual content.

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