GR Symphony Taps Kennedy Center Executive For Vice President And General Manager

By: Apr. 25, 2019
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GR Symphony Taps Kennedy Center Executive For Vice President And General Manager

A longtime executive at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., has been named Vice President and General Manager of the Grand Rapids Symphony.

Aaron C. Doty, Director of Strategy and Engagement with Washington National Opera, becomes general manager for West Michigan's largest performing arts organization. Doty, age 45, will join the Grand Rapids Symphony in June.

A 14-year veteran of Washington National Opera, one of two performing arts organizations affiliated with the Kennedy Center, Doty has held such past positions as co-interim Executive Director, where he managed the company that has an annual operating budget of $23 million and produces five to seven fully staged operas per season in the Kennedy Center's Opera House.

As Director of Strategy and Engagement, Doty's duties include managing the Washington National Opera Orchestra's administrative and music staff; negotiating all contracts for directors, designers, choreographers and dramaturges; and negotiating collective bargaining agreements with the orchestra and chorus musicians, which performs in the 2,300-seat theater that serves as the setting for the annual Kennedy Center Honors, the nation's highest award for lifetime achievement in the arts.

Doty's responsibilities also include overseeing strategic planning for the entire organization and developing community partnerships throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, including underserved communities.

Grand Rapids Symphony President and CEO Mary Tuuk said she's thrilled to welcome to West Michigan a seasoned professional of orchestral administration from one of the most important performing arts organizations in the country.

"Aaron has a wealth of knowledge and experience with performing arts management, day-to-day orchestral operations, and long-range strategic planning," Tuuk said. "We're happy to welcome Aaron and his wife to the vibrant and growing community of Grand Rapids. Aaron will play an important role in our mission to serve the West Michigan community and industry."

Prior to his promotion to Director of Strategy and Engagement in 2018, Doty held past positions with Washington National Opera as Operations Director, managing the orchestra administrative and artistic staff for the company that's one of the largest opera companies in the United States.

A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, who grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Doty earned a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and a master's degree in orchestral conducting from Ohio University. He also worked for and studied privately with Kenneth Kiesler, director of orchestras and professor of conducting at the University of Michigan. Trained as a double bassist, Doty has performed with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra. In Madison, he founded and served as music director of the High Point Chamber Orchestra.

As Vice President and General Manager, Doty will serve as the principal staff liaison to Music Director Marcelo Lehninger, Principal Pops Conductor Bob Bernhardt, Associate Conductor John Varineau, and all other affiliate artistic leaders. Doty will supervise all aspects of orchestra operations including scheduling, concert production, artistic administration, collective bargaining, and performance- related media activities.

Doty and his wife, Eileen, a violinist and currently a Senior Consultant with Sigma Health Consulting, will relocate to Grand Rapids this summer. The couple met in Ann Arbor where Eileen earned her master's degree in violin performance from the University of Michigan in 2004.

Doty said he and Eileen are happy to return to Michigan.

"During the course of every conversation I've had already, the passion with which people have spoken about the Grand Rapids Symphony's mission, focus on education, and dedication to inclusion has been captivating," he said. "I'm honored and excited to be joining this team, and Eileen and I are looking forward to becoming part of the Grand Rapids community."

Organized in 1930, the Grand Rapids Symphony is nationally recognized for the quality of its concerts and educational programs. Led by Music Director Marcelo Lehninger, Principal Pops Conductor Bob Bernhardt and Associate Conductor John Varineau, nine concert series in a wide range of musical and performance styles plus educational and community outreach programs combine to offer more than 400 performances per year, touching the lives of some 200,000, nearly half of whom are students, senior citizens or people with disabilities. Affiliated organizations include the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus; Grand Rapids Youth Symphony; and Grand Rapids Symphony Youth Chorus as well as the biennial the Grand Rapids Bach Festival, which returns in 2019. GRS collaborates annually with Opera Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Ballet and semiannually with the Gilmore Keyboard Festival in Kalamazoo.

Photo Credit: Joseph LeBlanc



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