From Bearcat to founder of a major classical music firm, Patricia Price (’04) shares her memories of Willamette

Patricia Price ('04) poses for a portrait. Photo by Fadi Kheir, courtesy of Patricia Price.

Having already mastered piano as a child, Patricia Price’s (’04) high school choir teacher inspired her to choose a career in music. This career began with her music and philosophy degrees from Willamette University, and the alumna now leads one of the most prestigious classical music firms in the world. 

“Like most careers, it starts out with an inspirational teacher,” she said. Price, who goes by Trish, also credits Willamette for allowing her to combine her passion for music — the “center of (her) world” — with a business education. 

“Willamette had a great music program and offered a well-rounded portfolio of options for me to explore both performance and a different field with the intention of going to graduate school,” she said. While at Willamette, Price double-majored in piano performance and philosophy and participated in study abroad programs in Austria and Greece. Embracing the Willamette tradition of overachievement, she noted she was “pretty busy as a student” throughout her education.

“The liberal arts education in general is an important way of exploring who you are at that stage in life. And Willamette’s backdrop afforded me the opportunity to explore music, philosophy, a little bit of political science, a lot of different disciplines,” Price said.

After graduation, Price was awarded a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship and returned to Vienna, making many friends through a unique opportunity she “wouldn’t have been able to do without Willamette.” She noted the university was a “very supportive presence” throughout her time in Europe. 

But as Price’s Fulbright assistantship came to an end, she had to make difficult choices. After realizing that a career in music performance was not for her but still wanting music to be part of her life, Price decided to return to the United States to continue her education in music management. 

“I realized that I wanted to make sure that my life is focused on music and musicians,” she said. Price, originally from Spokane, Washington, returned to Willamette to complete an MBA — which she obtained in 2009 — and quickly proved her talent and expertise by rising in the music industry. While a graduate student, she served as an assistant at a music distributor and later ran the classical music division at Portland-based Allegro Media Group, a nationally recognized record label. Right after graduation, Price was chosen as executive director of Portland Piano International, a “wonderful recital series and festival in Portland.”

Both positions allowed the Willamette alumna to get acquainted with the music industry, with the latter giving her the opportunity to experience the “nonprofit side of things,” she said. After serving in other positions and working as a consultant in the industry, Price’s work “quickly grew to be what is our company today, which is 8VA Music Consultancy,” she said.

The company, which was founded in Portland and later relocated to New York City, provides marketing and public relations services to orchestras and classical musicians. According to its website, 8VA Music Consultancy also provides artistic planning and event production and has worked with groups like the American Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan Philharmonic, National Children’s Chorus and Seattle Chamber Music Society. 

Many professionals in the music industry either have music or business expertise, but rarely both, Price said. Thanks to Willamette, she noted, she is an exception. “Even though I was a piano performance major, having that MBA education gives me more confidence in business settings to know that I can present to boards and business people with a fluent vocabulary of terms while also being able to speak to musicians on a similar plane,” she said. 

Apart from aiding her success, Price cites Willamette as impacting her personal life too. “I’m lucky that my best friends still to today are from Willamette, from both undergrad and graduate school,” Price said. She connects with her group of Willamette friends often, and “that’s really special.”

“I hope students today realize what a wonderful opportunity four years to explore passions can be,” Price said, despite noting that the university has changed significantly since she was a student in the early 2000s. “It’s something I look back on with fondness. The ability to learn and focus on curiosity is something you only get during that period of your life.”