Whiting Gilmer Brings Strong Academic, Legal, Public Policy and Public Service Experience to the BSO’s Pioneering Community Education and Mentorship Program

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) today announced Raquel Whiting Gilmer as the first Executive Director of OrchKids™, the organization’s nationally recognized youth program. OrchKids was created by the BSO and Music Director Marin Alsop soon after her tenure began in 2007 to catalyze social change and to stimulate opportunities for children in some of Baltimore City’s neediest neighborhoods through the lens of music instruction. A Baltimore City native, Whiting Gilmer brings to the organization more than twenty years of experience in the legal, public policy and education arenas.

In her role as OrchKids Executive Director, Whiting Gilmer will oversee the day-to-day management of the organization, working closely with staff, members of the BSO Board of Directors and the Baltimore City School system to strategically expand the program, raise funds and ensure that the organization stays true to its mission of nurturing promising futures for the youth of Baltimore City.

"I am thrilled to welcome Raquel to Orchkids", said Marin Alsop. “Raquel understand the immense importance of mentoring for young people. Through the power of music, OrchKids opens up avenues of opportunity for children who need the most encouragement and support. Not every child will become a professional musician, but OrchKids gives them the skills to achieve whatever they set their minds to. We are committed to reaching as many young people as possible and I look forward to working with Raquel to expand the program so that all of our kids can envision futures filled with possibility."

“The hiring of Raquel signifies a milestone in our program’s tremendous achievements, and in the Baltimore Symphony’s commitment to and investment in community involvement,” said BSO Board Chair Barbara Bozzuto. “As we continue to grow and serve more and more families and schools throughout Baltimore City, Raquel is the ideal person to take us to the next level. In addition to her obvious passion for education, she has broad experience developing business and foundation partnerships, she is from Baltimore, and she has the passion and drive to make this happen. Quite simply, she is a game changer.”

“Growing up in Baltimore, my mother was a single parent who worked three jobs to give me a chance at a brighter future,” said Whiting Gilmer. “I am passionate that every child should have the foundation and opportunity to live a meaningful and productive life. OrchKids opens up a universe of possibilities for our children by providing the motivation, encouragement, and life skills that make the world ‘big’ for them. It gives students a higher expectation of what they can accomplish. I am excited to join this winning program and team, and to help expand the reach and impact of OrchKids.”

“It comes as no surprise to me that Raquel has been appointed Executive Director for OrchKids. Her passion and commitment to the community will support the BSO’s efforts to provide music outreach to the youth of Baltimore,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “Raquel’s spirit of advocacy is what makes her valuable to the many entities that she serves. I look forward to seeing the positive change that she will impart in the lives of those around her.”

Prior to joining OrchKids, Whiting Gilmer served as the Executive Vice President of Academic Support for Learn It Systems, a diversified education organization that provides academic, enrichment and professional services to public, private and charter schools in over 150 school districts nationwide. There she led the company’s academic and enrichment activities and all government relations. Whiting Gilmer also served as the Senior Director of Community and Business Development for Educate Online, a division of Sylvan Learning. Whiting Gilmer graduated cum laude with a degree in Sociology from Princeton University, and subsequently earned her Juris Doctor from University of Virginia School of Law. She is actively engaged in community service, having founded both the Perfectly Me Girls Program and the Baltimore Bee regional spelling bee. She is also a board member at the Lillie May Carroll Jackson Charter School, a member of the Greater Baltimore Committee Leadership Class of 2007, and was recently named to the 2016 list of the Maryland Daily Record’s Top 100 Women and the 2015 Smart CEO list of Baltimore Executive Management Award winners.

About OrchKids

OrchKids is a year-round, during and after school, music program designed to create social change and nurture promising futures for youth in Baltimore City’s neediest neighborhoods. Under Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Music Director Marin Alsop’s artistic leadership and direction, OrchKids is the cornerstone of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s programs to make a difference within the broad and diverse Baltimore community. In collaboration with several community partners, including Baltimore City Public Schools, OrchKids provides music education, instruments, academic instruction, and performance and mentorship opportunities, as well as meals and services at no cost. Currently OrchKids works with six public schools in Baltimore City, serving more than 1,000 children from Pre-K through 10th grade.

About the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Celebrating its Centennial in 2016, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is recognized as one of America’s most important and innovative orchestras and one of Maryland’s most significant cultural organizations. Led by the dynamic and visionary Maestra Marin Alsop, the Orchestra is internationally acclaimed and locally admired for its outstanding concerts, recordings, broadcasts, touring, and for its groundbreaking education and community outreach initiatives. The BSO annually performs for more than 350,000 people throughout the State of Maryland. Since 1982, its Baltimore home has been the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, and in 2005, the BSO became the nation’s first orchestra with year-round venues in two metropolitan areas with the opening of The Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland. The BSO boasts trailblazing education and community programs designed for audiences of all ages, from a Music Box Series for toddlers and concerts for schoolchildren and families, to comprehensive programs for aspiring young musicians and amateur adult musicians. The award-winning OrchKids™ program, launched by Marin Alsop and the BSO in 2008, provides education resources and fosters social change through the power of music for children in the city’s neediest communities. See more at www.bsomusic.org