The Board of Directors of The Music Center announced Thursday that Rachel S. Moore, an accomplished leader in the performing arts, has been named president and CEO of The Music Center.  Moore joins The Music Center from American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the world’s great dance companies, where she served as CEO since 2012 and as its executive director since 2004.  Moore comes from the performing arts, having danced with ABT as a member of its corps de ballet 1984-1988.  She will assume her new position with The Music Center on October 5, 2015.

Moore is credited with transforming ABT’s brand during which ABT was recognized by the United States Congress as “America’s National Ballet Company” in 2005.  Her numerous accomplishments for ABT include expanding the company’s national presence with a breakthrough bi-coastal initiative with the Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts in California; developing strategic co-presenting partnerships with The Music Center and the Chicago Auditorium Theater; improving the stability of the company’s revenue base by re-balancing earned versus contributed income; substantially increasing the company’s endowment; developing and launching the groundbreaking Project Plie program to increase diversity in professional ballet; expanding the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School by significantly increasing enrollment, implementing a “Healthy Dancer” initiative, and building a pipeline for students from the school in the professional company; and creating a worldwide teacher training and certification program for ballet teachers, among many other successes.  Prior to leading ABT, Moore held senior positions in dance and arts administration, including director of Boston Ballet’s Center for Dance Education (2001-2004), North America’s largest professional ballet school; executive director for Boston classical music school Project Step  (1998-2001); managing director for Ballet Theatre ofBoston (1998); as well as director of the Institute for Community Development and the Arts/National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies (1995-1997) and development officer for the National Cultural Alliance (1994-1995), both in Washington, D.C.  Additionally, she has served as adjunct faculty for the Graduate Program in Arts Administration for both Columbia University and Boston University, and in the dance department of Emerson College.

Lisa Specht, chair of The Music Center’s Board of Directors, said, “Moving into its next 50 years, The Music Center needs an experienced and visionary executive who not only has the managerial expertise and strategic insights necessary to manage a great performing arts center, but also the creativity and vision to move us forward.  Rachel is a gifted administrator with a commitment to artistic excellence and proven leadership in building an arts institution.  Couple that with her deep experience in dance, now a hallmark of The Music Center with its dance series, Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, and Rachel is the ideal candidate to lead The Music Center.”

The Music Center Board of Directors selected Moore after an extensive international search that began in January 2015.  Howard Sherman, who has been serving as interim president and CEO, will resume his position as COO of The Music Center following Moore’s arrival in October 2015.

Acknowledging her new appointment, Moore said, “I am honored to serve the County of Los Angeles as The Music Center’s next president and CEO.  The Music Center’s contributions to the arts are unparalleled both on its campus and in Grand Park, with its support for four world-class resident companies – LA Opera, LA Phil, Center Theatre Group and the Los Angeles Master Chorale – its presentation of an internationally acclaimed dance series, leadership in family and participatory programming, and its role as a standard bearer in arts education.

“This is an exciting time for performing arts institutions, and The Music Center has the opportunity to be a leader by establishing itself as the premiere destination in the Western United States for world-class, highly innovative experiences in the performing arts that are also sensitive to the needs and interests of a broader audience.  We have a unique opportunity to capitalize on the progression of technology, not only to impact audience development and distribution of programming, but to attract and make fans of the young audiences who are growing up alongside the digital tools and experiences that impact virtually all aspects of their lives,” Moore added.

Moore received a M.A. in Arts Administration from Columbia University in 1994 and a B.A. in Ethics and Philosophy from Brown University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, Honors, in 1992.  She was a fellow in 2012 with the National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program, which is associated with the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, and Harvard Business School; and a fellow in 2002 with the National Arts Strategies Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders.   A native of Davis, California, Moore was named a White House Presidential Scholar in 1982.  She has served on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and was a member of the United States Commission for UNESCO from 2005-2009.  She is the author of an upcoming book, The Artist’s Compass: The Complete Guide to Building a Life—and a Living—in the Performing Arts, which is designed to help young performers in multiple genres navigate the business side of the arts.  It will be published by Simon & Schuster in spring 2016.

Lisa Specht said, “The Board thanks Howard Sherman, COO of The Music Center, for his commitment and dedication to leading The Music Center during this interim period.  Howard, who has been part of The Music Center for more than 29 years, served with distinction as interim president and CEO during the search.”

The Music Center’s Board of Directors Search Committee, headed by Board Chair Lisa Specht, included Music Center Board Members David Gindler, Nigel Lythgoe, Cindy Miscikowski, Diane Paul, Shelby Notkin, Catherine Soros and Marc I. Stern, along with Kiki Ramos Gindler, president of the Board of Directors for Center Theatre Group.

About The Music Center
The Music Center is LA’s home to the world’s greatest artistic programs and events. With four iconic theaters and four renowned resident companies – Center Theatre Group, the LA Master Chorale, the LA Opera and the LA Philharmonic – and recognized for its illustrious dance programming, Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, The Music Center is a destination where audiences find inspiration in the very best of live performance, as well as nationally recognized arts education and participatory arts experiences.  For more information, visit http://www.musiccenter.org/