Derek Beckvold

Derek Beckvold

Saxophone Faculty | The Global Conservatory

Derek is an arts leader, social entrepreneur, creativity educator, and multi-instrumentalist musician who has performed, taught, and implemented music programs in over 25 countries across five continents, including places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, Palestine, and India.

He has recently been appointed as Executive Director of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. He previously served as Managing Director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, overseeing all aspects of the organization’s two award-winning orchestras, and previously served roles as the BPO’s Development Director and Education & Community Engagement Manager.

He is on the faculty at New England Conservatory in the Entrepreneurial Musicianship Department, teaching classes in (1) Fundraising & Grant writing and (2) Marketing & Audience Development, in addition to individual student advising.

He is also the Co-Founder of the international music education nonprofit, Teach To Learn, which has supported musicians in over 40 countries through online and in-person programs that build cross-cultural connections and collaborations. Additionally, he is on the support faculty of OAcademy, a pioneering online orchestra institute for the 21st century. He frequently consults with international organizations on music education, and has been invited to present on music by institutions such as Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian Institution, UNICEF, and the US State Department.

He received a BM in Saxophone Performance from NEC, an MBA in Arts Innovation from the Global Leaders Institute, was a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar in India, and is a graduate of the Essentials of Orchestra Management program from Juilliard and the League of American Orchestras.