Tom Clowes
Executive Director
Tom Clowes was appointed by the HPYS Board of Directors to the position of Executive Director in March, 2026. A seasoned arts administrator, he is a passionate advocate for the power of inclusive, community-based music education for young people.
Tom is the founder of Crossing Borders Music, a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the stories and music of people whose backgrounds are suppressed. Under his leadership as Executive Director from 2015 to 2025, Crossing Borders Music grew from a volunteer-led start-up to a professionally-managed arts organization with secure, multi-year public and private funding. Crossing Borders Music gained national recognition for its impactful performances and educational initiatives, including performances by diverse composers of color, interactive in-school performances, and an annual Young Composers Project for West-side teens.
Tom assists with organizational development at the Chinese Fine Arts Society and Refugee Women for Peace and Justice. Previously he was a founding board member of Building Leaders Using Music Education – Haiti (BLUME Haiti). As a music teacher, he proudly served on faculty at the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute, the Chicago West Community Music Center, and the Ambassadors Music Institute of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. Tom plays cello in the Crossing Borders Music String Quartet and previously performed with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and Tucson Symphony Orchestra. He was a student of international soloist Wendy Warner, Janet Anthony, and retired Detroit Symphony Orchestra Principal Cellist Italo Babini.
When not working, Tom enjoys long runs and bike rides, single-origin coffees, Cambodian cultural events, and spending time with his family and friends.
Tom Clowes was appointed by the HPYS Board of Directors to the position of Executive Director in March, 2026. A seasoned arts administrator, he is a passionate advocate for the power of inclusive, community-based music education for young people.
Tom is the founder of Crossing Borders Music, a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the stories and music of people whose backgrounds are suppressed. Under his leadership as Executive Director from 2015 to 2025, Crossing Borders Music grew from a volunteer-led start-up to a professionally-managed arts organization with secure, multi-year public and private funding. Crossing Borders Music gained national recognition for its impactful performances and educational initiatives, including performances by diverse composers of color, interactive in-school performances, and an annual Young Composers Project for West-side teens.
Tom assists with organizational development at the Chinese Fine Arts Society and Refugee Women for Peace and Justice. Previously he was a founding board member of Building Leaders Using Music Education – Haiti (BLUME Haiti). As a music teacher, he proudly served on faculty at the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute, the Chicago West Community Music Center, and the Ambassadors Music Institute of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. Tom plays cello in the Crossing Borders Music String Quartet and previously performed with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and Tucson Symphony Orchestra. He was a student of international soloist Wendy Warner, Janet Anthony, and retired Detroit Symphony Orchestra Principal Cellist Italo Babini.
When not working, Tom enjoys long runs and bike rides, single-origin coffees, Cambodian cultural events, and spending time with his family and friends.