TERRY KNOWLES PROMOTED TO PRESIDENT AND CEO OF LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE

Terry Knowles, long-time executive director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale (LAMC), has been promoted to President and CEO of the world-renowned chorus effective immediately, announced LAMC Chairman Mark Foster. Terry has served as executive director since 2000.  The Los Angeles Master Chorale is a resident company of the Music Center and is the resident chorus at Walt Disney Concert Hall.  It is one of only a handful of professional choirs in the country.

“For over 10 years Terry has been at the forefront of our efforts to navigate important transitions and lead this organization through change and growth,” says Foster.  “As we look forward to Grant Gershon’s continuing music directorship, significant artistic opportunities, financial challenges in a tough economy, and eventually the Chorale’s 50th Anniversary Season in 2013, the LAMC Board of Directors enthusiastically and unanimously voted to promote Terry into this new position.  By taking this critical step, we both recognize her many successes over the past decade and demonstrate our confidence in her ability to lead the organization into the future.”

“I am honored by this acknowledgment of my work with the Chorale thus far and to serve the Chorale in this new and expanded capacity,” states Knowles.  “Partnering with this amazing professional chorus, our gifted conductor, an extremely talented and dedicated staff and a committed and visionary Board of Directors continues to inspire me in every aspect of my leadership role.”

Knowles is completing her 11th season with the Los Angeles Master Chorale.  During her tenure, LAMC has recorded four commercial CDs, which includes forging a new recording partnership with Decca Recording Group, and increased its operating budget by 75%, to $3.7 million. The Los Angeles Master Chorale has also expanded its season and institutional profile significantly, launched a new multi-year strategic plan, undertaken ambitious commissioning projects, toured to New York and the Midwest and expanded its relationship with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and other leading Southland music organizations.  It also launched the award-winning “Voices Within” education outreach program, inspiring the next generation of composers, singers and music lovers, and, in recent years, has enjoyed numerous sell-out concerts.  In 2009, Knowles and LAMC were selected for a special grant from the James Irvine Foundation’s Fund for Leadership Advancement.  The focus of her and the organization’s work under this grant, which continues through 2011, is to align the LA Master Chorale’s governance and management leadership systems in support of the new strategic plan, which included, for the first time in its history, the election of its most senior staff member to the position of President and CEO.  Before joining the organization, Knowles was Director of Major and Planned Giving for California Institute of the Arts.  Prior to that, she was Vice President of management consulting firm Phillips & Associates, Executive Director of Development at KUSC Radio, Manager of Corporate and Foundation Giving for Los Angeles Opera, and Director of Individual Giving at the Minneapolis United Way.  She served on the Chorus America Board of Directors from 1990-96.

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Giving a voice to Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Grammy-nominated LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE (LAMC), considered one of the world’s leading choirs, is led by Music Director Grant Gershon.  The Los Angeles Times proclaims, “Under Gershon, the Master Chorale seems to be able to master anything,” The New York Times calls the choir “inspired,” and The New York Observer declares it “a superb vocal ensemble.”  The Chorale is currently in its 47th season as a resident company of the Music Center of Los Angeles County and its 8th as the resident chorus at Disney Hall.  Presenting its own concert series each season, it has performed more than 480 concerts, featuring choral music from the earliest writings to the most recent contemporary compositions.  The choir has commissioned 25 and premiered 63 new works, of which 41 were world premieres, and has been awarded the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming three times – in 1995, 2003 and 2010.  Additionally, the Chorale has performed in more than 280 concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at both Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl and has also appeared at the Ojai Festival, the Great Performers series at Lincoln Center, and at Overture Center in Madison, Wisconsin, as well as in leading venues throughout the Southland.  Its discography includes four CDs under Gershon’s baton, A Good Understanding, an all-Nico Muhly disk recorded at Disney Hall and released by Decca in September 2010; Daniel Variations by Steve Reich, released in spring 2008 on Nonesuch Records; You Are (Variations) by Steve Reich, released in September 2005 on Nonesuch Records; and an RCM recording featuring Esa-Pekka Salonen’s first choral work, Two Songs to Poems of Ann Jäderlund, and Philip Glass’ Itaipu.  LAMC previously released three CDs under Music Director Emeritus Paul Salamunovich on RCM, including the Grammy-nominated Lauridsen-Lux Aeterna.  The Chorale is also featured with Gershon on the soundtracks of such major motion pictures as Charlie Wilson’s War, Lady in the Water, License to Wed, and Waterworld.  Serving more than 40,000 audience members of all ages annually, the Los Angeles Master Chorale also provides education outreach to approximately 6,000 children each year.  In 2008, the Chorale’s highly successful outreach program “Voices Within” earned the coveted Chorus America Education Outreach Award.