Hank Knerr served as the executive director of the Lively Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pennsylvania, promoting and presenting nearly 200 in-house and touring visual and performing arts events and projects each year. In his position, which he held for 28 years through June 2016, Knerr supervised extensive arts-in-education outreach activities, the IUP Community Music School, performance facilities management, and web maintenance. He currently serves on the Board of North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents (NAPAMA) serving four years as its secretary and as its 2020 Retreat Director. He is a past president of PA Presenters. He is also the vice president of the Pennsylvania Rural Arts Alliance. Knerr has also served on the boards of the Indiana Arts Council, Indiana Country Tourist Bureau, and Indiana County Humane Society. He is an active member of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals and recipient of numerous grants including such funders as National Endowment for the Arts, Japan Foundation, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, National Dance Project, PNC Charitable Trusts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and others. Highly active in state and national arts advocacy and arts-in-education programs, he has chaired several professional conferences and headed the planning for the 2014 Pennsylvania Governors Awards for the Arts. Knerr received his B.A. in music and theater from Lycoming College and M.F.A. in arts administration from Penn State University. Previous positions include faculty and director of public relations for theater at Minnesota State University—Mankato, faculty and business manager for the theater at the University of Northern Iowa, managing director of the Mankato Ballet, and general manager for the Mule Barn Theater in Missouri. An award-winning graphic designer, he also works as a free-lance consultant in arts management and arts-in-education.
3 December 2025 A quick note to give some news solidified just this morning (Wednesday 3 December). Chibuike’s student visa interview in Lagos, Nigeria, was just confirmed for December 29. Provided his visa is approved, we hope for him to arrive in Indiana, PA, by January 10 with a report date of January 12. Your … More Interview Scheduled
28 November 2025 The visa roller coast for Chibuike continues, although new hope is in the air. We have reason to believe that an interview will be granted in time for a January 2026 start at IUP. But, unfortunately, after 6 months of hope and promises, there is still no guarantee. But regardless, through all … More Chibuike on Music Appreciation
11 October 2025 Chibuike provided the narrative for this video where he talks about his love for the cello–its beauty and allure–his friends, his family, and more. Only 2.5 minutes, we invite you to listen and get a deeper insight into Chibuike’s love for music and some of the influences in his life.
28 August 2025 As posted previously, Chibuike’s scheduled visa interview in Abuja July 8 did not work out due to very last-minute changes in U.S. student visa processes. Attempts by the agent handling scheduling resulted in a September 9 date, much too late for the IUP report date of August 18 and the start of … More Visa Rules Change: Delays Arrival
10 July 2025 Chibuike’s visa interview and approval has been in limbo for over two weeks now but hope is not lost. On July 8, Chibuike reported for his interview at the U.S.. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria. He was turned away. It appears that the documents submitted arrived four days before his appointment instead of … More July Visa Update
5 April 2025 On March 31, on a beautiful Western Pennsylvania evening, dozens of friends supporting Chibuike Victor met at the charming home of Kay Smith for a special event benefiting Chibuike’s fund. Michael Kevin Jones, a world-touring cellist and the person who connected us with Chibuike over 18 months ago, also attended the event. … More An Intimate Gathering
24 February 2025 Written by Hank Knerr, Raising Arts A Blog in Five Movements Movement 1: Getting to Lagos In November 2024, I began a mission to secure a Nigerian tourist visa to attend the first public cello recital by Chibuike Victor, a young man I had been following since a year prior. Given the … More The Cello Sings in Lagos
24 February 2025 In his first public solo recital, Chibuike Victor demonstrates how far he has come. Starting with the piece that began all his connections to the music world, he passionately performs Grace Tin-Yen Christus’ (Colorado) “Dragon and the Phoenix.” All pieces were performed Monday 17th February 2025, at the MUSON School of Music … More The Recital
20 December 2024 As we have promised for some time now, a special performance is coming to Indiana, Pennsylvania, March 31. The Wong Doe and Jones Duo will be in town to provide a special fund raising chamber recital to benefit the Chibuike Victor fund. The duo will perform a variety of music for cello … More Save the Date & Request an Invitation
15 November 2024 It has been several years in coming, but Chibuike has been at Muson School of Music in Lagos, Nigeria, now for to two months and has rapidly settled in. He takes music classes and lessons Monday through Friday, often starting his day early and ending in the evening. Weekends find some time … More The Road to Muson
Raising Arts ... Serving the Arts Community 