Oral History Interview with Barr, Clay

Clay Barr was a board member of the Virginia Symphony and its historical antecedents from the 1960s until 2007. She served as president of the Board from 1981-1983, during the merger of the three Hampton Roads orchestras. Following her service on the Board of Directors, Barr was a member of the Trustee Council. She chaired the search committee that recruited JoAnn Falletta as Music Director and worked hard to support the orchestra's appearance at Carnegie Hall in 1997. Barr was born in Norfolk, Virginia on May 3, 1941. The interview was conducted with Clay Barr in her Norfolk office for a project on the history of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. The interview discusses Barr's time as a member of the Virginia Symphony Board of Directors. Important highlights include the merger of the Peninsula, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach orchestras; the Virginia Symphony strike; and experiences with the symphony conductors. 0:57:00

Clay Barr was a board member of the Virginia Symphony and its historical antecedents from the 1960s until 2007. She served as president of the Board from 1981-1983, during the merger of the three Hampton Roads orchestras. Following her service on the Board of Directors, Barr was a member of the Trustee Council. She chaired the search committee that recruited JoAnn Falletta as Music Director and worked hard to support the orchestra's appearance at Carnegie Hall in 1997. Barr was born in Norfolk, Virginia on May 3, 1941. The interview was conducted with Clay Barr in her Norfolk office for a project on the history of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. The interview discusses Barr's time as a member of the Virginia Symphony Board of Directors. Important highlights include the merger of the Peninsula, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach orchestras; the Virginia Symphony strike; and experiences with the symphony conductors.

Photograph of Clay Barr taken during oral history interview for the Virginia Symphony Archives project.

Photograph of Clay Barr and Jean Major taken during oral history interview for the Virginia Symphony Archives project.