The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, KY has announced that Adam Engelhardt has been named as the new Executive Director of their organization. He fills the position vacated this summer by Chris Joslin, who had served in that role this past nine years.
Adam is well familiar with and to the bluegrass world through his two decades leading his music production company, Engelhardt Music Group, which has released more than 650 titles since 2004. He will continue to function as the owner/operator of the label, with day-to-day tasks handled by staff.
During this same period he had worked at Sony Music Publishing as a producer and studio operations manager.
Speaking of this new job, which he started this week, Engelhardt says…
“I am honored to step into the role of Executive Director at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, an institution that celebrates the rich heritage of bluegrass music right here in its birthplace of Kentucky. With over 20 years of experience in the music business, and a deep personal love for this genre, I look forward to building on the Hall of Fame and Museum’s already strong success. I will strive to honor the legendary Hall of Famers, strengthen our community’s ties to this timeless music, and continue to share the story of bluegrass music with audiences around the world.”
Adam also currently serves as an At-Large member of the Board of Directors for the International Bluegrass Music Association. He says that it was through this connection that the new job came his way.
“Being on the IBMA Board I knew of the opening, and it was while driving through Owensboro with my family that the idea took hold. I was talking with my wife as we drove through town, commenting on what a charming community it was, and she suggested, ‘why don’t you look into it?’
I did a few interviews, and here we are.”
The Hall of Fame did not have any issues with him serving on the IBMA Board while working at the Museum, as Adam’s term only runs through June of 2025. Also, the Museum’s Executive Director gets a non-voting seat on the IBMA Board as a matter of course.
Currently, Adam is commuting the roughly one hour distance between his Tennessee home near the Kentucky line while he looks for a place in Owensboro. He says that he will eventually be moving there in full.
He mentioned that the excitement about bluegrass music in Owensboro, and the efforts in that direction by the business and political leadership, had a lot to do with his decision to take the position.
“They really stake their claim on Owensboro as the home of bluegrass music. It’s a strong force here.
There will be some good things happening in the future.”
Chris Love, Chair of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum Board, says that they are solidly behind their new ED.
“We are very excited to have Adam coming on board to serve as our new Executive Director. Adam brings a deep level of experience and knowledge of the bluegrass industry, and a passion for not only the history, but also for the bright future of bluegrass music. Further, his leadership skills developed by leading a team in the music industry for over 20 years will undoubtedly allow him to maximize the current strengths of the Hall of Fame and Museum to shape a vision for the future.”
Since Joslin departed in June, Deb Fillman had served as interim Executive Director, along with her ongoing role as Director of Development.
More information about the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum can be found online.
