Meet Our Founder
Elias Salazar
Founding Artistic Director & Conductor
Elias Salazar is a distinguished Venezuelan American conductor residing in Nashville, Tennessee. Known for his “precision, clarity, energy, and passion” on the podium, he has significantly impacted the Nashville music community for over a decade.
Salazar recently completed a 10-year tenure as the Director of Choral and Orchestral Music at Ensworth School where he also founded and directed the Ensworth School of Music. His dynamic and innovative approach to music education helped the school’s music program flourish during his tenure. He also recently served a five-season tenure as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Trevecca Symphony Orchestra and served a one-season appointment as Music Director of the Belmont University Opera. Salazar’s professional affiliations include serving on the Board of Directors for the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gateway Chamber Orchestra, as the Contemporary Music Chair of the Tennessee American Choral Directors Association, and as a member of the Leadership and Action Council for the Nashville Singers. He has performed as a vocalist with the acclaimed Portara Ensemble, featured at the 2017, 2018, and 2023 CMA Awards and the 2018 CMA Country Christmas program. Salazar currently serves as Associate Music Director and Choir Director of The Village Chapel.
Meet Our Executive Director
Cameron Keith Walls
Executive Director
Cameron Keith Walls is an arts executive, educator, performing artist, and civic leader whose work centers on the intersection of community, the arts, and education. As Executive Director of the Nashville Civic Orchestra, he brings a multidisciplinary career spanning entertainment, higher education, organizational leadership, and community engagement.
A native of Peoria, Illinois, Walls was truly raised by a village, but reared by his grandmother, a librarian and devoted civic leader who served both her public housing community and the broader Peoria community. Her example, along with the support of his community, shaped his belief in education, culture, and community as vehicles for transformation.
With a career spanning more than three decades, Walls is an accomplished performing artist, songwriter, session vocalist, vocal producer, event producer, and actor. His notable credits include founding membership in the W. Crimm Singers, leadership roles with DulaneyLand Music and QuaverEd, and backing vocals for the ELVIS motion picture soundtrack, which was Grammy and Oscar nominated, and Tennessee State University’s Grammy Award-winning The Urban Hymnal. He has also served as Deputy Province Governor for Province 15 of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and was named S.O.L.I.D. Member of the First Quarter during his inaugural year.
Meet Our Librarian
Maggie White
Orchestra Librarian
Maggie White began playing violin at age 4 through the Suzuki method and went on to play in a local orchestra before joining the Austin Peay State University Orchestra at age 11. All the while, she was also drawn to her Kentucky roots and the world of fiddle competitions, and folk styles like Bluegrass and Irish.
Maggie graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Belmont University, where she was an active orchestral musician and served as Concertmaster her senior year. During her time at Belmont, she was awarded the prestigious Presser Scholarship, won the Classical Performers Concerto Competition, and was inducted into the Alpha Chi Honor Society — honors that reflect both her artistry and her commitment to excellence.
Since graduating, Maggie has built a rich and varied performance career. For the past 13 years, she has toured and recorded with artists Keith and Kristyn Getty and freelances with an impressive range of artists including Peter Mayer Group, Nashville Swing Band, Vickie Vaughn Band, RUNA, and Pam Tillis. She also writes and tours alongside her husband Zach White in their band, Zaggie.