For 18 years Frank served with distinction as Executive Director of the Joy of Music School in Knoxville, Tennessee, a tuition-free music school for disadvantaged youth, leading its rapid and significant growth, reach, and impact. Graffeo, who is a conductor of opera, symphony and ballet, is also the former General Director and Conductor of Knoxville Opera, whose renowned Rossini Festival was created by the multi-talented maestro.
With a rich background in nonprofit management and a deep passion for cultural arts, festivals, and community engagement, Mr. Graffeo is energized to lead the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center into an exciting new chapter.
- Education and Training: BMusEd Magna cum laude: Texas Tech University, MM with Distinction in Performance: New England Conservatory of Music, Diploma: Centro Linguistico Sperimentale, Diploma: University of Tennessee Consortium for Social Enterprise Effectiveness, Diploma: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Executive Training
- Honors, Awards: National Endowment for the Arts Grants Panelist, Opera America “Bravo Excellence” Award, Tennessee Theatre Grand Reopening Committee, Tennessee Arts Commission Grants Panelist, Tennessee, Tennessee Colonel Aide de Camp Award conferred by Governor Bill Haslam
- Personal: Frank lives in Knoxville with his wife Christy, a skilled musician, administrator, and ultrasound technologist. Their son, Enzo, is a student at Tennessee Tech University majoring in Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Cello.
