Colin Knapp

About Colin

Colin Knapp (IAC 08, IAA 09-10) is an arts administrator based in New York City, where he serves as Assistant Director of Patron and Young Associate Giving at the Metropolitan Opera. He was previously Marketing Manager for the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Before completing a dual master's of public affairs and arts administration degree at Indiana University, Colin was based in Detroit, Michigan, where he worked for Michigan Opera Theatre, now Detroit Opera. He last served as their Manager of Donor Engagement, where he worked to create meaningful experiences for patrons and facilitate donor cultivation. He also liaised directly with emerging audiences to establish points of access to opera and ballet, deepening their involvement with the company and commitment to patronage.

As an organist, Colin served as Director of Music and Organist at the First Presbyterian Church of Ypsilanti for nine years and remains Director of the Ypsilanti Pipe Organ Festival. From 2013 to 2019, he coordinated the University of Michigan's internationally recognized Annual Organ Conference—a role that earned him recognition in Diapason Magazine's 20 Under 30 Award in 2015. Colin has also worked extensively as a graphic designer, with his designs appearing on labels for the Germack Roasting Company, in print advertising for Rush Hour Concerts in Chicago and the American Guild of Organists, and in digital formats for many arts organizations in southeast Michigan.

Colin attended Interlochen Arts Camp for one summer and Interlochen Arts Academy for one year. He holds undergraduate degrees in organ performance, music theory, and arts administration from the University of Michigan.
 

My summer at Interlochen Arts Camp and subsequent graduation from Interlochen Arts Academy were pivotal moments that unveiled the depth of my potential and solidified the arts as the cornerstone of my identity, forever shaping the trajectory of my life.