As COMO Magazine launches The Scene, a new e-newsletter and magazine department, bringing that initiative to life called for someone with boundless energy and unwaivering passion for Columbia’s art and culture scene.
That someone is Trent Rash.
Trent assumed the position of executive director of The Missouri Symphony (MOSY) in August 2019. In that position, he oversees the staff and the day-to-day operations of the organization, which has been a mainstay of the Columbia community for fifty-five years.
Before MOSY, Trent spent twelve years as an assistant professor of music and musical theatre at Stephens College, where he taught applied private voice lessons, musical theatre performance techniques classes, and musical theatre repertory classes. He was also the executive director of the Summer Theatre Institute, the first summer intensive for the BFA performing arts students.
In addition to his duties at MOSY, he occasionally teaches a handful of students of all ages through RashMusik, his private voice studio. Trent attended the University of Missouri, where he received both a BS in Music Education and a MM in Vocal Performance. Trent has directed, music directed, or been onstage in nearly fifty musicals, working with a number of theaters in Columbia. Other solo engagements include concert appearances in MOSY’s Hot Summer Nights summer music festival, the Odyssey Chamber Music Series, and with the Missouri Contemporary Ballet.
Trent has delved into playwriting, having work accepted in both the Chicago New Musical Theatre Festival and the Starting Gate New Play Festival. In the spring of 2024, his original musical, NOW IS THE TIME, written with Audra Sergel, held its world premiere at Talking Horse Productions. He is proud to serve on the boards of Landlocked Opera and The Quorus (Columbia’s LGBTQIA+ community choir), as well as being a member of the Columbia ACA Business Club, co-chair of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Committee, and an officer for the level 7 and 8 orchestras in the League of American Orchestras.
In what spare time he has, Trent enjoys spending time with his three children, collecting bow ties and fun socks, reading, and running.
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Trent’s Top Picks for the Remainder of August 2025
Wonder Exhibit, Columbia Art League, July 29-September 4
Trent’s Take: This exhibit explores the artist’s job to mediate beauty to the world. Wonder is a visceral emotion everyone experiences in their lifetime. This show challenges artists to show the moment when they felt wonder.
Dirty Dancing, Ragtag Cinema, August 25
Trent’s Take: Who doesn’t love a classic? Audiences have spent nearly 40 years “having the time of their lives” watching this movie, which was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry in 2024. This screening is part of the cinema’s Extra Credit series and will be followed by a panel discussion with University of Missouri researchers.
