Judith Pinkerton is the Chairman of the Board for the Coeur d'Alene Symphony Orchestra. After spending her time all over the world, Pinkerton finds herself leading one of the city's most important cultural institutions. In addition to her musical capabilities, Pinkerton also has a passion for music therapy which was sparked in 1986 when the dulcet tones of her violin helped nurse her husband back to health after a surgery. Outside of music, Pinkerton enjoys spending time outside taking in the many scenic trails North Idaho has to offer or skiing down snowy slopes.

Q1: What drew you to the Coeur d'Alene Symphony and what inspired you to take on the role of Chairman of the Board?

Both nature and nurture brought me to Coeur d’Alene. I was raised in Alaska in a musical family of seven. My Eastman School of Music-trained father began teaching me violin at age seven with my musician mother supporting every step. Studies and performance in Switzerland were followed by a career spanning the Anchorage Symphony, Anchorage Concert Association, Alaska Conservatory of Music, my talent agency Pinkerton Performances, and later decades as a union violinist and music therapist in Las Vegas. 

Coeur d’Alene became part of my musical life long before it became home. While visiting family, I played in the CdA Symphony alongside my brother. A joyful way to reconnect through our shared family language of music. 

Eventually, three things drew my husband and me here permanently: my music therapy business theMusic4Life.com transitioned to online education, we became parents to a newborn surrounded by family support, and COVID strengthened our desire to co-locate between Las Vegas and Coeur d’Alene, to live closer to my large North Idaho family, including my parents in their 90s. 

Community quickly became connection. Lora Whalen sponsored my transfer into the Coeur d’Alene Rotary Club and recruited me to the Symphony Board in 2023. Working alongside Lora, Patt Richesin, and other dedicated leaders drew me deeply into grant writing, community outreach, and service. 

An Innovia Foundation grant created an especially meaningful partnership between the Symphony and Music4Life, training musicians to bring music supporting mental and emotional well-being into our community which gained national attention. 

What began with simply playing violin alongside my brother evolved into something much greater. Inspired by a Board committed to artistic excellence, financial stability, and community impact, I accepted their invitation to serve as Chair. 

For me, it feels like a natural progression of a lifelong journey: from learning the violin as a child, to performing, healing, educating, and now helping lead a Symphony dedicated to enriching the community I call home. 

Q2: As you begin this role, what is your vision for the symphony and its role in the Coeur d'Alene community?  

As Chairman of the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Board of Directors, my vision is for our Symphony to be more than an orchestra on a concert stage. It should be an essential part of the fabric of North Idaho. 

Over the past few years, our Board has intentionally expanded the Symphony’s presence beyond the concert hall through community partnerships, local events, and new opportunities for people of all ages to experience live orchestral music. 

Engaging young people is central to that vision. From Saturday with the Symphony at the Coeur d’Alene Library to our Young Artist Competition, 4th Grade Concert, and annual Side-by-Side performance, we are creating pathways for young people to discover, experience, and participate in music. 

Looking ahead, our youth programs will reach even greater numbers through stronger alliances supporting music education initiatives. We will continue developing excellent musicians while cultivating the engaged audiences, advocates, and donors who will sustain the Symphony for generations to come. 

We want families and young people to feel genuinely welcome at our season concerts. Moving performances to 3 p.m. makes attending easier for families, while providing an adjacent room with a live video feed gives parents and restless children the flexibility to enjoy the performance comfortably. These are practical ways we’re making the Symphony more accessible, inclusive, and family-friendly for the next generation of concertgoers. 

Ultimately, I want the Coeur d’Alene Symphony to be recognized as our community’s orchestra: welcoming, relevant, accessible, and belonging to everyone in North Idaho. 

When my service as Chair began on July 1, I convened our leadership team to share my vision and explore support for strengthening the Symphony’s fundraising and community engagement. The Board enthusiastically embraced the concept of a more robust fundraising initiative, inspired by a successful model highlighted by the League of American Orchestras, of which the Coeur d’Alene Symphony is a member. 

On August 23, 2026, the Board approved the new Coeur d’Alene Symphony Council (CSC). New Board Director Crileen Kixmoeller immediately stepped forward as Council Chair. Joining her as CSC Founding Sponsors are her husband, Chris Compel; Jack & Cora Powers; Marilyn Montgomery & Dr. Ernest Fokes; John C. Rudolf; and Pinkerton Wealth. 

We celebrated these visionary supporters with gratitude at the September 6 Hayden Lake Country Club Symphony Pops Concert. Surrounded by beautiful Eventure Dome tents, an audience of 300 gathered for an extraordinary evening. From guests on the grounds to listeners in boats across the lake, the music carried far beyond the stage, showcasing the artistic excellence of our Symphony and the growing reach of our community mission. 

Q3: What makes the CDA Symphony special and what do you hope more people in the community discover about it?

I believe the Symphony contributes to North Idaho’s cultural evolution by creating more than great performances. We create connection, belonging, learning, and opportunities for music to enhance well-being. 

What makes the Coeur d’Alene Symphony especially meaningful is that we truly are a “people’s orchestra.” Most of our musicians have careers beyond the Symphony. They are our neighbors who come together because they love making music and sharing that joy with others. That authenticity makes orchestral music welcoming and accessible rather than exclusive. 

Education and well-being are also becoming part of the concert experience. As we enter our fourth season of Dialogues with Danh, Maestro Danh Pham and I offer pre-concert conversations that explore the music, its meaning, and ways our listening experiences can contribute to personal well-being. These dialogues invite audiences to listen more deeply and discover new dimensions of the music before the first note of the concert is played. 

As North Idaho grows, we want that sense of cultural belonging to grow with it. The new Coeur d’Alene Symphony Council (CSC) invites people to become participants in the future of the Symphony, not simply audience members or donors. Through FriendRaiser gatherings, exclusive concert receptions, educational experiences, and special performances such as our candlelit Radiant Resonance String Quartet, members can build friendships, meet musicians, learn about instruments and music history, and share their own musical experiences. 

One hundred percent of CSC donations support the Symphony, helping sustain artistic excellence and expand our community reach. 

Ultimately, a thriving arts community helps create a thriving community. We want the Symphony to be a place where music inspires curiosity, supports well-being, friendships deepen, people feel they belong, and North Idaho’s cultural life flourishes for generations. 

Q4: The arts play an important role in growing a community, so how do you see the Symphony contributing to the cultural life and evolution of North Idaho?

The arts are essential to a thriving community, and I see the Coeur d’Alene Symphony helping shape North Idaho’s cultural future by bringing people together, inspiring the next generation, and taking the power of music beyond the concert hall. 

At the heart of that vision are Maestro Danh Pham and Concertmaster and Associate Conductor Phil Baldwin, whose artistry, warmth, and commitment to our community help define the Symphony’s distinctive character. Maestro Pham’s charm and natural connection with audiences make orchestral music approachable and exciting, especially for children. Phil’s leadership as both Concertmaster and Associate Conductor strengthens our artistic excellence while helping inspire musicians, young artists, and audiences. Together, they demonstrate that exceptional orchestral music can also be welcoming, personal, and deeply connected to community. 

One of our most important investments is introducing young people to music. When a child discovers a love for music, that experience can influence a lifetime. Whether they become a musician, concertgoer, arts supporter, or parent, they can pay that appreciation forward to the next generation. 

We are fortunate to be part of a growing network that includes the Music Conservatory of Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls Music Academy, North Idaho Youth Symphony, school music programs, and other community organizations. By strengthening these alliances, we can expand music education, nurture excellent young musicians, and cultivate tomorrow’s audiences and supporters. 

Our impact must also reach people where they live, learn, heal, and gather. Through expanded small-ensemble outreach, our musicians will bring live music into healthcare settings, senior communities, youth facilities, and other community spaces. By creating connection and supporting well-being, we will reach people who might never experience the Symphony in a concert hall. 

As North Idaho grows and evolves, our Symphony must grow with it, honoring our musical heritage while creating a vibrant, accessible, and connected cultural future. I envision the Coeur d’Alene Symphony as truly North Idaho’s orchestra, where inspired leadership, passionate musicians, and strong community partnerships connect generations, inspire discovery, enrich lives, support well-being, and build a musical legacy that belongs to everyone. 

Q5: What are you most excited about coming up in the future and what do you hope audiences take away from the experience?

What excites me most about our future is creating more ways for people to experience the power of live music. Music invites us to inspire, discover, and dream, while opening doors to education, personal enrichment, meaningful connection, and greater well-being. 

This season brings cherished traditions together with new experiences. Our December 5 Christmas concert will gather families around familiar holiday favorites. On Valentine’s Day weekend, the new Radiant Resonance String Quartet will offer an intimate candlelit experience at the Jacklin Arts Center. 

Looking further ahead, I am especially excited about our 50th anniversary in 2029–2030. It gives us an opportunity to honor those who built this Symphony while creating a cultural legacy that inspires its next 50 years. 

The new Coeur d’Alene Symphony Council is another part of that future. It transforms a shared love of music into community. Members can meet musicians, learn about instruments and music history, share experiences, and form new friendships. 

Ultimately, I want people to feel uplifted, enriched, connected, and renewed. The Symphony is more than something to attend. It is something to experience, learn from, support, and belong to. I envision a Symphony woven into the life of North Idaho, bringing people together and enriching generations through the extraordinary power of music.