Our Team
Meet the Team
Delta David Gier
Delta David Gier is the Director of Crescendo North America. Since 2004, Gier has been the music director of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (SDSO). Gier also served as an assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic for 15 seasons, was a Fulbright scholar in eastern Europe from 1988-90, and has conducted many orchestras around the world. He studied at the University of Michigan under the renowned conducting teacher Gustav Meier, along with studies at the Tanglewood Music Center and Aspen Music Festival. He has chaired the music jury of the Pulitzer Prize and is a frequent panelist for the League of American Orchestras.
Kathryn Hougham
Kathryn Hougham serves as the Managing Director of Crescendo North America. Prior to this role, she was the Programs Manager at the Philanthropy Roundtable in Washington, D.C. Her previous roles include marketing and communications at the University of Maryland School of Arts and Humanities and faculty positions at Holton-Arms School, Indianapolis Suzuki Academy, and Traders Point Christian School. Kathryn holds a bachelor’s degree in Viola Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, a master’s from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and a doctorate from the University of Maryland. Passionate about the intersection of faith and music, Kathryn was also actively involved in campus ministry during her time at CIM and founded the Jacobs Christian Fellowship at Indiana University. She was an apprentice at The Masterworks Festival and was on staff at Camp-of-the-Woods.
Kristen van Dyck
Kristen van Dyck is the Administrative Assistant for Crescendo North America. She is also a freelancing violinist in Ohio and Pennsylvania. A native to Cleveland, van Dyck completed her B.S. in Education and earned a music performance minor at Kent State University. Her violin teachers include Cathy Meng Robinson, Jung-Min Amy Lee, and Naomi Youngstein. She has worked as administrative and editing assistant for Kent State’s Hugh A. Glauser School of Music, Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, Kent Blossom Music Festival, John Mack Oboe Camp, and Law Offices of Denice Smith.