KMFA 89.5 ANNOUNCES STACEY HOYT AS DIRECTOR OF EVENTS

KMFA 89.5, Austin’s listener-supported classical music station, announces Stacey Hoyt as the Director of Events for its new facility including the Draylen Mason Music Studio.

Hoyt’s background producing hundreds of meetings and special events for worldwide experience marketing agency George P. Johnson, United Way for Greater Austin, and the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin will help KMFA continue to develop its event and performance space, the centerpiece of its new building located in the Hatchery development in East Austin.

“KMFA’s new home was designed to host premier musical events and to be a special gathering place for the community,” said KMFA President & General Manager Ann Hume Wilson. “Stacey’s credentials as a top professional in the field, combined with her passion for the arts, positions her perfectly to activate this beautiful new meeting and event space for Austin.”

Hoyt has served in several leadership roles with the International Live Events Association (ILEA) Austin chapter and is a Certified Special Event Professional (CSEP), a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and an Adjunct Professor in Hospitality Management at Austin Community College. Stacey received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the ILEA Gala & Austin Special Events Awards ceremony this month. She also holds a BFA in Theatre Design, Technology and Management from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

KMFA’s home is a 20,000 square foot facility that houses the Draylen Mason Music Studio, a new 135-seat performance space where audiences can experience concerts, performances, community and educational events. The room is named after Draylen Mason, the talented seventeen-year-old bassist who was a victim of the Austin package bombings in March 2018.

The radio station dedicated the space to Draylen in a virtual grand opening celebration earlier this year featuring performances in the space by renowned violist Anne Akiko Meyers, classical guitarist Jason Vieaux, Austin-based Miró Quartet, and others. The space has also been utilized during the past year to record performances for local arts organizations including Austin Chamber Music Center, Austin Classical Guitar, Inversion Ensemble, Austin Soundwaves, as well as local musicians Invoke, Thomas Echols, and pianist Anton Nel among others. The Draylen Mason Music Studio also received a Critics Pick as “Best New Place to See Music” earlier this year from the Austin Chronicle.

“I’m excited to collaborate with the business and nonprofit community to discover ways to utilize this amazing space now that we are seeing a return to in-person gatherings in a post-COVID environment,” added Hoyt. “In addition to the music studio, there are several other spaces and features in the building that were thoughtfully designed with both public and private meetings and events in mind. It is sure to become a cherished destination for the Austin community.”

As Director of Events, Hoyt will help facilitate private events in the venue as well public programs offered by the radio station.


Photo Credits:

Stacey Hoyt, KMFA Director of Events

Photo by: Jana Birchum