Hair has a background in vocal performance and education

The Maryland School for the Blind (MSB), a statewide resource center that provides outreach, educational and residential services for students identified as blind or visually impaired, is pleased to announce that Superintendent W. Robert Hair has been named a Trustee of the Maryland Opera.

Maryland Opera offers quality opera performances, innovative artistry, support for social awareness and change, education and outreach programming, commitment to underserved communities, and a vehicle for talented young vocalists to follow their dreams. Dedicated to long-term financial sustainability, Maryland Opera aspires to become the premier opera organization in Maryland.

“I am proud to have been selected to serve on the board of the Maryland Opera, and I look forward to getting involved with the many quality programs that the organization offers to our community,” said Hair. “I began my career as a music teacher at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind, and it is extremely important to me that both children and adults have access to a wide range of musical performances, including opera.”

Hair holds a Bachelor of Arts in vocal performance from Converse College in South Carolina and a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining MSB, Hair was an administrator at the Perkins School for the Blind in Massachusetts.

With a long history of community service, Hair volunteered with the Arts Council, the cultural facilities planning committee and the community planning and accessibility committee in South Carolina, and he was president of the Spartanburg Repertory Company, a community opera performance group. In Boston, he served as a board member of Intermezzo, an organization that commissioned new operatic works.

About Maryland School for the Blind

Maryland School for the Blind (MSB) is a private, statewide resource center providing outreach, educational and residential programs to youth from infancy to age 21 from throughout all 24 Maryland jurisdictions. Annually the school serves 65% of the 2,000 students identified in the state who are blind or visually impaired, including those with multiple disabilities. For more information, go to https://www.marylandschoolfortheblind.org/.