Apollo's Fire, Summit County

Barbara A. Feld, Executive Director Emeritus of Tuesday Musical Association is currently Apollo’s Fire Director of Development for Summit County. Apollo’s Fire is a Grammy Award-winning Baroque Orchestra. Ms. Feld led Tuesday Musical Association for 24 years, retiring as its Executive Director in July 2013.  She was a board member of the Akron Roundtable, serving on many committees and was president of its Board of Directors. She stepped down in December 2022, receiving Emerita distinction. Feld also serves on the Summa Health Healing Arts Leadership Council.

Ms. Feld has been a member of Project GRAD Akron’s Board, co-chairing two of its annual events and serving as mentor to Buchtel CLC high school students. She served on the Blossom Committee and the Arts Advisory Committee of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.  She was the co-chair of Young Performers Career Advancement (YPCA) program that is part of the APAP (Association of Performing Arts Presenters) Classical Connections initiative designed to assist selected classical musicians in the formative stages of their careers by offering opportunities to meet and work with established presenters, managers, agents, and artists.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Ms. Feld always had a passion for the arts.  She has been a resident of Akron, Ohio for 45 years where this passion has flourished and been nurtured.  During her career with Tuesday Musical, she initiated the highly successful FUZE! Series, an exciting collaboration with the Akron Art Museum.  As its Artistic Director, Ms. Feld featured innovative programming that showcased classically-trained younger artists who were charting and defining their own path within the traditional world of classical music.  All concerts were presented in the small and intimate 165-seat Jane Lehr auditorium of the museum.

Upon retiring from Tuesday Musical Association, the Feld Educational Experience Endowment was established in recognition of all that had been achieved with education outreach during Feld’s career.  She spearheaded education outreach from the very beginning and, today, Tuesday Musical is recognized for its accomplishments in this arena of connecting students with artistic excellence.  

Ms. Feld has served as an OAC panelist in prior years . This experience was humbling as she reviewed. listened and commented on the breadth and scope of the arts throughout Ohio.  From the very large to the very small, from mainstream to marginalized, people are committed to bringing arts and culture to their villages, towns, and cities.  And the Ohio Arts Council is pivotal in turning those dreams into realities.    

Today, Ms. Feld spends her time advocating for Apollo’s Fire in Summit County and is committed to its ongoing presence in the community. Apollo’s Fire next season, the 2024-2025 season is one of CELEBRATION. Apollo’s Fire has been presenting concerts in Akron/Summit County for 30 years and has become a vital part of the cultural fabric of this community.