Kimmel Center, Inc. and Resident Companies Sign New License Agreements
September 21, 2006
New Residency Agreements Enable Resident Companies to Continue Artistic Growth and Vitality Into the Next Decade
Kimmel Center, Inc. Board Chairman William P. Hankowsky announced today that KCI and six of its resident performing arts companies have signed new license agreements, thereby extending both the long term artistic and creative vitality of each company. The six resident companies are: American Theater Arts for Youth; The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia; the Opera Company of Philadelphia; Pennsylvania Ballet; PHILADANCO; and The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. The Kimmel Center negotiating team included Vice President of Venue Sales and Client Management Andrea J. Stevenson and General Counsel Lisa Goldschmidt, in collaboration with the executive leadership of each resident company. Paul A. Tufano led the Kimmel Center Board Committee overseeing the fifteen-month process.
"We are delighted to have signed agreements with each of our resident companies enabling them to move forward artistically and creatively," said Kimmel Board Chairman William P. Hankowsky. “This long term relationship allows the Kimmel Center to continue to provide a home for some of the best performing arts the region has to offer and to maintain its own financial stability during its Fifth Anniversary Season and for the future."
"The process was amicable, creative and collaborative from start to finish," said Paul A. Tufano. "Our common goal was to find a way for each of the resident companies to continue their own artistic growth at the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music. I want to congratulate Andi Stevenson and her team as well as the leadership teams from the resident companies for their work in accomplishing that goal."
"We are thrilled to have affirmed and renewed our partnerships with our Academy of Music and Perelman Theater resident companies," said Andi Stevenson, Kimmel Center Vice President of Venue Sales and Client Management. "The cordial and smooth negotiation process strengthened those relationships, and it was a pleasure to work closely with our residents companies' staff and board leadership."
"American Theater Arts for Youth, Inc. recognizes the powerful links that connect a great performing arts facility with the art-maker. As a resident company of the Kimmel Center, we are enormously pleased to have signed a new lease at this fine venue," said Laurie Wagman, Founder and Chair of American Theater Arts for Youth, which signed a six year lease agreement extending to 2012. "Now entering our 37th year of production continuity, American Theater Arts for Youth, Inc. celebrates the cooperation, empathy and understanding that marks the presentation process. It is these qualities that have made this beautiful venue a joy for our staff and the audiences we serve. We are proud to be part of the Kimmel family."
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue our wonderful relationship with The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The Perelman Theater has been the place we've called 'home' for the past four and a half years," said Peter H. Gistelinck, the new Executive Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, which signed a five year lease agreement beginning in 2007 and extending to 2012. "The renewal of our Resident Company agreement will further elevate our artistic excellence and launch a number of new and exciting artistic discoveries."
"We are pleased to have concluded a productive negotiation process with our colleagues at the Kimmel Center," said Robert B. Driver, General and Artistic Director of the Opera Company of Philadelphia, which signed an eight year lease extending to 2014. "As a resident company of the Academy of Music, we are proud to present quality productions in this exquisite opera house, making the Academy available to opera lovers throughout the Delaware Valley region. Our new lease with the Kimmel Center makes it possible for us to look forward to many wonderful performances, which will take place there during the next eight years."
"Pennsylvania Ballet is looking forward to another eight seasons in the historic Academy of Music thanks to a newly-extended lease with KCI," said Michael Scolamiero, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Ballet, which signed an eight year lease agreement extending to 2014. "The lease gives the Ballet security of dates and assists us with strategic planning since we have a firm idea of costs for a period extending through 2013-2014. The process for reaching agreement was one that was marked by a spirit of cooperation and recognition of each party's goals.
"As the resident modern dance company at the Kimmel Center, the benefits to PHILADANCO are limitless," said Joan Myers Brown, Founder and Executive Artistic Director of PHILADANCO, which signed a five year agreement in 2005 extending to 2010. "From building new audiences and supporters to opportunities to present new works by renowned choreographers, the solid base of scheduled performances at the Kimmel Center allows us to plan our touring well in advance and apprise PHILADANCO lovers of our upcoming performances."
"The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society is pleased to have renegotiated its Resident Company agreement and lease with the Kimmel Center," said Philip Maneval, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, which signed a six year agreement extending to 2012. "These negotiations were conducted in a spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding, and they addressed the needs and interests of both organizations. The Kimmel Center and its resident companies play a major role in enhancing Philadelphia as a leading, international center for the performing arts. With this new agreement in place, PCMS looks forward to continuing its tradition of presenting eminent chamber music and recital artists at the Perelman Theater at affordable prices, thus making them accessible to people from all walks of life from throughout this city and region."
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Kimmel Center, Inc. is a non-profit organization that owns, manages, supports and maintains the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts as well as the Academy of Music which is owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association. The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Academy of Music serve as the home to eight Resident Company performing arts organizations including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, American Theatre Arts for Youth, PHILADANCO, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Peter Nero and the Philly Pops. Kimmel Center, Inc.'s mission also includes arts in education, community outreach and a rich diversity in programming through its Kimmel Center Presents and Cadillac Broadway at the Academy series of performances. For more information about the Kimmel Center, go to www.kimmelcenter.org.
American Theater Arts for Youth is the nation's largest presenter of professional, curriculum-related theater for children. American TAFY presents original musicals to more than 1.3 million children each year across the country. Under the guidance of Founder/Chairman Laurie Wagman, it produces 24 annual tours to entertain and educate. American TAFY's unique "Reach for the Stars" program makes a home for theater in the hearts of children with special needs. For more information about American Theater Arts for Youth and their upcoming season, go to: http://www.atafy.org.
A founding resident company of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia is a 33-member ensemble led by Ignat Solzhenitsyn, now in his third season as Music Director. The Orchestra, founded in 1964 by Marc Mostovoy, has a well-established reputation for distinguished performances of repertoire from the Baroque period through the twenty-first century. The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia performs ten pairs of concerts during its subscription season in the Kimmel Center’s intimate, 600-seat Perelman Theater from September through May. The Orchestra has performed with such internationally acclaimed guest artists as Luciano Pavarotti, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Mstislav Rostropovich, Issac Stern, Rudolph Serkin, The Romeros Guitar Quartet, Sylvia McNair, Steven Isserlis, Ransom Wilson, among others. The ensemble also travels regularly, having toured the United States, Europe and Israel. For more information about The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and their upcoming season, go to: http://www.chamberorchestra.org.
The Opera Company of Philadelphia is the city’s only producer of grand opera, performing at the beautiful Academy of Music, America's most historic opera house which celebrates its 150th birthday in January 2007. The Company currently produces four operas with six performances each, offering audiences a unique blend of favorites and little-known operatic gems. With English translations projected above the stage, "A Taste of Opera” lectures providing a look inside current productions, and outreach programs designed both to educate and entertain, OCP makes opera easily accessible to the public. Combining the highest quality opera with an exclusive and historic venue, the Opera Company of Philadelphia delivers a truly breathtaking experience. For more information about The Opera Company of Philadelphia and their upcoming season, go to: http://www.operaphilly.com.
Pennsylvania Ballet, established in 1963 by George Balanchine protégé Barbara Weisberger, is known for its diverse classical repertoire performed by versatile dancers whose energy are the Company's enduring signature. For 43 years Pennsylvania Ballet has been at the forefront of dance, performing in the national spotlight for the first time in 1968 and now touring annually throughout the Northeastern United States. Pennsylvania Ballet presents a season of six programs in Philadelphia, balancing classic ballets with works that challenge the dancers and attract a diverse audience. Under the artistic leadership of Roy Kaiser (a former dancer who rose from the ranks of the Company), Pennsylvania Ballet maintains a strong commitment to the creation of new work, commissioning 29 works since 1994, including Swan Lake by Christopher Wheeldon. In addition, the Company has expanded its repertoire to include works by Ashton, Balanchine, Cranko, Robbins and Tharp, to name a few. Pennsylvania Ballet has enhanced its artistic profile while increasing its reach and strengthening its foundation through creative programming. From classics such as Romeo and Juliet and Giselle to new creations such as 11:11 by Matthew Neenan, Pennsylvania Ballet continues to stretch its own boundaries, reinforcing its reputation for artistic excellence and technical virtuosity. For more information about Pennsylvania Ballet and their upcoming season, call 215.551.7000 or visit www.paballet.org.
PHILADANCO has grown, since 1970, from a community arts organization based in West Philadelphia to a dance company celebrated throughout the world. Founder and Executive Artistic Director Joan Myers Brown and her 18 dancers are famed for innovative choreography, blending African American-based dance with ballet, jazz, and modern. Philadanco's repertoire includes works by Talley Beatty, Ronald K. Brown, Donald Byrd, George Faison, and Gene Hill Sagan, among others. The company premieres new productions each year and performs nationally and internationally, approximately 40 weeks each year. For more information about PHILADANCO and their upcoming season, go to: http://www.philadanco.org.
The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, founded in 1986, is one of the leading chamber music and recital presenters in the United States. The annual PCMS program consists of more than sixty performances by today's finest international chamber music ensembles, piano and string artists, singers, guitarists, and woodwind and jazz artists. Devoted to making great music accessible to all audiences, PCMS maintains a policy of low ticket pricing, presents more than fifty annual education programs, and collaborates with other prominent Philadelphia cultural institutions in community outreach and special programs. PCMS provides a richly varied repertoire of masterworks spanning six centuries, including infrequently-heard works of special interest and world premieres of new works by living composers. For more information about The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and their upcoming season, go to: http://www.pcmsconcerts.org.
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