Gene Chieffo was named as Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Philharmonic in June 2021. As Executive Director, Gene assists with fundraising activities and media outreach in Hampton Roads. He serves as the organization’s financial manager in collaboration with our treasurer and maintains our administrative office.
Gene studied clarinet performance at the Philadelphia University of the Arts. He also holds master’s degrees in education and the humanities from Arcadia University. After a 20-year career as a clarinetist in Army Bands, including six years at Fort Monroe, Gene served as the Senior Army Instructor for two different Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps programs in the Philadelphia area for 15 years. In addition to his teaching, he maintained a busy performing calendar with various Philadelphia-area community orchestras and other professional large ensemble and chamber music work.
Mr. Chieffo and his wife happily returned to Hampton Roads in 2019. Since then, he has become active with several local musical organizations as a clarinetist, board member, and administrative staff member. Gene is an adjunct Woodwind literature and pedagogy professor at Christopher Newport University. He and his wife Michel live in the Little England neighborhood of Hampton. Together, they have six children, two grandchildren, and two munchkin cats.