Heather McDougall
Maine Public Classical Manager of Music and PeopleHeather McDougall has enjoyed a varied international career, with more than two decades working across classical radio and music management. With roots as a performing and teaching cellist, she got her start in public media at Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), Ireland’s national public broadcaster, in classical radio production and later as artistic administrator for their two radio orchestras. Other production, music direction, and project management roles at West Cork Music, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, WFMT Radio Network (Chicago) and WRTI (Philadelphia) have rounded out her versatility across these fields and reflect her lifelong passion for radio and music-making.
Her credits include Co-executive Producer, Breaking Glass podcast (WFMT & Glimmerglass Opera); Executive Producer, Giving Thanks to Music with Nadia Sirota (WFMT Radio Network); and, Managing Producer, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Radio Series (WFMT Radio Network) and Bughouse Square with Eve Ewing podcast (WFMT & Studs Terkel Radio Archive).
Heather has a B.M. in Cello Performance (Eastman School of Music), B.A. in Linguistics (University of Rochester) and an M.Phil. in Digital Humanities and Culture (Trinity College Dublin).
When not on the job, in past lives, she’s always loved hitting the streets, giving architectural tours on behalf of the Chicago Architecture Foundation and Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. A newly arrived Mainer, she now hopes to get busy doing the same.
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A visit to the Westbrook studio of sculptor Verónica Pérez, for a discussion about their project, braiding circles, an exploration of their father’s story and Puerto Rican heritage, and working toward a forthcoming solo exhibition in Waterville. -
The annual Belfast Poetry Festival is coming up in late October and Maya Stein, the Belfast Poet Laureate, joins us to talk about being the town’s “public poet” and what’s ahead at this year’s festival. -
The Portland Symphony Orchestra’s 100th anniversary season kicks off with an opening weekend from Friday September 20. This week’s guest, Executive Director, Carolyn Nishon, tells us what’s in store. -
Lee Krasner was a key artist in the development of American Abstract Art in the 1930s and 40s. An exhibition exploring this dynamic period for Krasner and many of her contemporaries is now running at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art. Devon Zimmerman, co-curator of the exhibition, is this week’s guest. -
Puppets in Portland is a bi-annual festival presented by Mayo Street Arts, the de facto home of puppetry in Maine. Ian Bannon of Mayo Street Arts shares what’s ahead for the 2024 edition of the festival coming up September 13-22. -
The Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ (FOKO) and 317 Main Community Music Center have been forging a new partnership this year. James Kennerley of FOKO and Chris Moore of 317 Main join us to chat about bringing together their two musical traditions, culminating in an event held last month, Fiddles and Pipes. -
This week’s guests are filmmakers, Yuhi Amuli and Myriam Birara, whose films, Citizen Kwame and The Bride, have been featured in the Maine International Film Festival’s New Rwandan Cinema Series. -
This week’s guests are Mike Perreault, Director of the Maine Film Center, and Trésor Senga, CEO and Founder of the Mashiriki African Film Festival in Rwanda. They discuss their collaboration and the development of the New Rwandan Cinema Series at the 27th Maine International Film Festival. -
This week’s guest is Melissa Reardon, violist and Artistic Director of the Portland Chamber Music Festival, which kicks off on August 8. -
Allison Kiger, Artistic Director of the Bar Harbor Music Festival, talks with Host Heather McDougall about the 58th edition of the festival now underway on MDI and continuing through early August.
Read this interview with Heather from the March 2024 Experience membership magazine.