Young People's Chorus of NYC Names Peter Shavitz Director of Development

Young People's Chorus of New York City^TM has named Peter Shavitz as the organization's new Director of Development as of December 1. The announcement was made by Francisco J. Núñez, artistic director and founder of YPC.

Mr. Shavitz, formerly the development director of American Music Center, a center for contemporary classical music and jazz, said, "I am delighted to have joined this remarkable organization. YPC's artistic, educational, and social values resonate deeply with me, and I am grateful to have an opportunity to help advance all aspects of the YPC mission."

In making the announcement, Mr. Núñez said, "I am greatly impressed with Peter's knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm, and feel this is a great fit for both of us. I'm very excited about the future."

Mr. Shavitz joins YPC development department staff members Christina Malhotra, director of special projects, and Anne Ingram, grant writer and development associate.

Peter Shavitz, comes to YPC after working as director of development for two other New York-based performing arts organizations whose constituencies overlap with YPC's. During his four years at American Music Center, contributions increased 35 percent, and its endowment more than doubled. Before that, among the many accomplishments of his 10 years at Symphony Space, Mr. Shavitz supervised a development department that raised up to $2 million annually for the not-for-profit performing arts center and successfully completed a $24 million capital campaign.

Mr. Shavitz holds a B.A. and M.A in Music from California State University, and a B.A. in English/Comparative Literature from Columbia University. He has also served as managing director of the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York and on the development staff of Old Globe Theater in San Diego. Mr. Shavitz makes his home in New York City with his wife and two sons.

For more than two decades, the Young People's Chorus of New York City^TM
under Founder and Artistic Director Francisco J. Núñez has provided children of diverse ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds with a unique program of music education and choral performance, while maintaining a model of artistic excellence and harmony that enriches the community. In the process, YPC has become one of the most celebrated and influential children's choruses today, performing around the globe, releasing acclaimed recordings from across the musical spectrum, collaborating with many of the world's most highly regarded composers and performers, and commissioning new works through its Transient Glory® series, this year celebrating its 10th anniversary.

More than 1,300 children participate in YPC annually through its core after-school program, its Satellite program in New York City schools, and its two national affiliates in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Tenafly, New Jersey. YPC has been recognized with Chorus America's Education Outreach Award and two Chorus America/ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming. and for its work with urban at-risk youth by the New York State Assembly, the Mayor of the City of New York, the Manhattan Borough President and as a "national model of artistic excellence and diversity" by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. The award-winning chorus is in residence at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, and WNYC, New York Public Radio. More information is available at www.ypc.org.