Columbus Symphony Announces New Music Director 

Conductor William McClain will assume the role, effective as of July 1, 2024

The mostly volunteer Columbus Symphony Orchestra has appointed William McClain as the seventh music director in its over 100-year history.

He will succeed Josh Aerie, who served in the role for eight years and vacated the position to devote more time to his cello career. McClain was among several music director finalists this past season, who each led a concert with a program of self-selected works. 

Starting his tenure on July 1, 2024, McClain will be leading the orchestra into its 102nd season. With more details to be released in August 2024, the upcoming season will host concerts in October and December 2024, and in February, April, and June 2025. 

McClain has performed in major venues across the U.S. and abroad, including Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Sheremetev Palace in St. Petersburg. 

Currently, he plays viola in the Augusta Symphony Orchestra and the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra — and is a former member of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and the Tri-Cities Opera Orchestra.

An associate professor of music at Illinois’ Millikin University, he will also be starting his fifth year as music director and conductor of the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra this year.

McClain received degrees in orchestral conducting and viola performance from The University of Maryland at College Park, Ithaca College, and The University of Texas at Austin.

“I am so honored to be the next music director of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra of Indiana!” McClain posted on Facebook. “It is such a fun group of musicians. I can’t wait for what’s coming next.”

“William is very encouraging and he is able to work with the orchestra in a way that is very special,” said Rachel Wilkin, the symphony’s past board president and the co-chair of the music director search committee, in The Republic. “He has a background working with a variety of other community groups. With that background, he possesses a lot of things that we were looking for in a conductor. Additionally, he has an extensive breadth of knowledge when it comes to repertoire. He loves to talk about all that, and it was fascinating to hear him talking about pieces that we were going to be playing.”