Biosketch
Cynthia (Cyndi) Napierkowski is an adjunct professor at UMASS-Lowell teaching Woodwind Pedagogy and Repertoire and Rehearsal Techniques in Instrumental Music. She began her adjunct work as the oboe instructor at Salem State University in 2008–2009 and is delighted to be entering her fifth year as conductor of the Salem State University Band. Over her 39-year career in music education, she served as preK–12 coordinator of music for the Salem Public Schools, where she taught instrumental lessons, conducted ensembles at every grade level, and built a vibrant music program. Under her leadership, high school ensembles performed across the United States and Canada at festivals and civic events, including appearances at Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall and at the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans.
Beyond her work in the schools, Cyndi is the founder and director of the Salem Community Band and Salem Community Jazz Band, a member and guest conductor with the Salem Philharmonic Orchestra and the North Shore Concert Band, and a part-time elementary instrumental music teacher in Middleton. She also maintains a thriving private woodwind studio, performs in pit orchestras and local ensembles throughout the Boston/North Shore area, and serves as the Higher Education Representative for the Massachusetts Music Educators Association Northeastern District.
Her dedication has been recognized with numerous awards, including the J. Michael Ruane Community Service Award, the North Shore Salvation Army’s Community Service Award, Salem High School’s Outstanding Teacher Award and the City of Salem’s Outstanding Employee Award. She has been featured in "North Shore 100" magazine and was named one of SBO Magazine’s “50 Directors Who Make a Difference” (2013). In 2014, she received both the inaugural Educator of the Year Award from the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival and the George N. Parks Leadership in Music Education Award from the National Association for Music Education and Music for All. More recently, she was honored with the Paul Harris Award from the Salem Rotary Club and the Margaret Voss Howard Award for Excellence in Teaching (2017).