MELISSA M. EDWARDS has been with Eastern Music Festival for 28 years and currently serves as the Director of Education where she oversees the student curriculum, recruitment, auditions, and student enrollment as well as coordinating the scholarship program. In addition to her extensive experience as an administrator, Edwards has a D.M.A. (horn) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a M.M. (horn) from Illinois State University, and a B.S. (music education) from Tennessee Technological University. Dr. Edwards served as third horn of the Greensboro Symphony for over ten years and performed with the Greensboro Symphony woodwind and brass quintets for their educational outreach programs in elementary schools.
Along with her interest in supporting and encouraging young musicians of the future, Dr. Edwards has a passion for research, history, and genealogy. She received a Master of Library and Information Studies degree in 2003 from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is currently pursuing a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies. In her spare time, she can be found volunteering at the local county archives, researching her family history, or making handmade cards.