HAGERSTOWN – April L. Dowler, a former president of the Board of Directors of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, has been appointed its interim executive director.

A search is currently underway for a new executive director to replace Andrew Kipe who resigned in November to accept the position of general manager of The Phoenix Symphony.

The search committee, under the leadership of MSO Vice President Dori Nipps, expects to have a new executive director in place by July 1, 2011.

“April was chosen to lead during this time of transition because of her extensive knowledge of the day-to-day operation of the organization,” said Nipps in a press release. “Having April at the helm during the search process will insure that the activities of the MSO will continue as planned for the remainder of the season.”

Dowler served as board president from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009 and has been a member of the MSO Executive Committee since 2003. She serves as a court-appointed mediator in the Family Courts of Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan Counties in West Virginia and is a Lecturer at the West Virginia University College of Law. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from West Virginia University and a Juris Doctorate degree from the West Virginia University College of Law.

The Maryland Symphony Orchestra is the area’s premier professional orchestra, dedicated to providing musical performances that educate and entertain, while enhancing the cultural environment of Western Maryland and the surrounding region.