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Sai-natiOnal.ORg SummER 2014 PAN PIPES 15 new leadershIp O n Dec.10, 2013, e Kennedy Center announced Deborah F. Rutter will become its new president on Sept. 1, 2014. She will serve as the third president of the institution, following Michael M. Kaiser, who will step down at the end of August 2014. She previously served as president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Associations (CSOA). Driven throughout her career by the belief that live concert music has the power to transform people's lives, Rutter is considered one of the leading arts administrators in the nation. Known for emphasizing collaboration, innovation and community engagement, since she joined the CSOA as president in August 2003, her dynamic influence has helped to further enhance the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's reputation as one of the world's most highly acclaimed orchestras. As CSOA president, Rutter oversees the operations of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Center Presents, the Institute for Learning, Access and Training (including the Civic Orchestra of Chicago), and the Chicago Symphony Chorus. e management of the Symphony Center facility is also under her direction. e appointment of the legendary conductor Maestro Riccardo Muti as the Orchestra's 10th music director and renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma as the first Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant are two of the key highlights demonstrative of Rutter's leadership. In collaboration, they have ushered in a new era of exceptional artistry and unprecedented musical outreach by the CSOA. Working with the Orchestra's Board of Trustees, Rutter helped reinvigorate educational programming in 2008 by establishing the Institute for Learning, Access and Training, which engages more than 200,000 people (with primary emphasis on ages 3 to 30) across the broadest possible socioeconomic and ethnic spectrum each year. In 2011, the Institute launched its Citizen Musician initiative, which seeks to sustain and expand the role of music making in civic and cultural life. Such initiatives are at the core of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association's commitment to creating and sustaining connections to music for individuals and communities throughout Chicagoland and around the globe. Also under Rutter's leadership, the CSOA has been an innovator in programming, adding concert series such as Beyond the Score, Aerwork Masterworks, MusicNOW, and CSO at the Movies; mounting citywide musical celebrations, such as such as 2007's Silk Road Chicago and 2012's Keys to the City Piano Festival; resuming the Orchestra's weekly syndicated radio broadcasts on WFMT-FM; and establishing its own recording label, CSO Resound. On the business side, Rutter has led a CSOA that has thrived during challenging times for symphony orchestras. Ticket and contributed revenues are at an all-time high, the endowment has increased by $70 million and annual fund contributions have doubled. Prior to joining the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Rutter was executive director of the Seattle Symphony, a position she held from November 1992 until 2003. Despite having a deficit when she joined, when Rutter departed for the CSOA, the Seattle Symphony had nearly tripled its annual budget to $25 million, had no accumulated deficit and the endowment had grown six-fold to $24 million. She is a graduate of Stanford University and holds an Master's in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. She was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in the Los Angeles area. She studied piano and violin from an early age, and she played violin with orchestras throughout her education. Kennedy Center Names Rutter As President Todd Rosenberg Deborah F. Rutter, third president of the Kennedy Center. i t is a true privilege to be asked to lead this unparalleled institution. The Kennedy Center represents the very best of American culture of all forms, and I am honored at the prospect of building on the great work of my predecessor, Michael Kaiser. As the nation's center for the performing arts, the Kennedy Center is a platform for declaring the importance of culture in our society; nurturing and celebrating the arts and artists in America as well as playing host to artists from around the world. I see my responsibility as fostering an environment conducive to artistic achievement—to encourage excellence, to provide creative vision and direction and to nurture energy and talent. The Kennedy Center has a responsibility to be a role model for the ideals of culture and artists in America, and in that role we will continue to explore, inspire, engage and encourage artistic discovery and dialogue. All Americans — all who live in our country — should have access to the arts, and all artists should be engaged as "citizen artists," contributing to our culture and our communities. As the living memorial to John F. Kennedy, and as a home to art and artists, the Kennedy Center must not just reflect back on the past, but look forward to the future. We must engage our audiences here in this place and expand our reach beyond these walls — taking advantage of new technologies and building on the current educational and community programs. I thank the search committee and especially its co-chairs David Rubenstein and Tony Welters, for their commitment and the significant dialogue we had in the course of the last few months. I am incredibly excited about the future of this institution and the opportunity to work with its great artists and leaders: Christoph Eschenbach, Suzanne Farrell, Jason Moran, Francesca Zambello and all of the many talented staff, volunteers, and supporters of the Kennedy Center. — Kennedy Center StAtEMEnt fROM dEbORAh RUttER

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