Alana Carithers

Oct 6

1 min read

Executive Director, Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra

Alana Pritchard Carithers is an accomplished violinist, educator, and arts leader whose career spans orchestral performance, chamber music, international festival and guest solo appearances, and nonprofit artistic administration.

She earned a double Master of Music degree in Violin Performance and Pedagogy from Northwestern University in 1999, where she served as Assistant Concertmaster and Principal Second Violin of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and Principal Second Violin of the Northwestern Symphony Orchestra. She was also a founding member of MusiCorp, a grant-funded chamber music education program that took live music and training into inner-city schools and churches throughout Chicago.

Carithers began her professional orchestral career in 2000 as Associate Principal Second Violin of the Colorado Springs Symphony. She joined the Richmond Symphony in 2003 and became Principal Second Violin of the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra in 2015 after serving as a section violinist since 2005. She has made 14 trips to Japan and China, and performed in Great Britain, Asia, across the US, Hawaii and the Caribbean.

In addition to her extensive performance career, Alana has held leadership roles in several nonprofit organizations, serving as artistic director, treasurer, development officer, programmer, personnel manager, music librarian, guest artist manager, and operations administrator. In January of 2026, she assumed the role of Executive Director of The Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra after her 5-month interim role.

Alana shares a life with her husband of 27 years, Jamie Carithers, three young adult children, and two dogs.

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