LYNCHBURG – The Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra announces that Ula Kauppi will be its new Executive Director, following the retirement of Mike Lewis in May. Ula comes to the LSO with an extensive background in resource development, marketing, and communications at the Free Clinic of Central Virginia, E.C. Glass Theatre, and most recently, United Way of Central Virginia. She has also served on the Board of Trustees at the Academy Center of the Arts for five years.

Ula holds the CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) designation and will complete her masters in Nonprofit Leadership Studies at the University of Lynchburg in 2025. A lifelong patron of the arts, Ula has called Lynchburg home since 2004 alongside her husband Alan. They are proud to have raised three wonderful children - now young adults - who all participated in the Lynchburg City Schools Strings program.

At the LSO April 13 concert held at the Academy Center of the Arts, attendees will have an opportunity to meet and talk with Ula and Mike, in the lobby during intermission and after the concert.

About the LSO
The Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra was started in 1983 as a way for local musicians to use their skills, while enhancing the community’s arts programs. Now a fully professional orchestra, the LSO is a key contributor to Lynchburg’s cultural, intellectual and creative vibrancy, helping to keep Lynchburg an attractive center for economic development – essential for businesses seeking to recruit and retain investors and employees. Beyond the price of a ticket, spending by arts organizations and their
audiences supports jobs and generates government revenue. LSO musicians live and work in the Lynchburg area, which keeps the investment of our attendees and patrons in our community