Jennifer Kallend Joins Colburn School As Vice President Of Communications

The Colburn School is pleased to announce that Jennifer Kallend will join the Colburn School as Vice President of Communications, beginning in fall 2018.

Jennifer Kallend comes to the Colburn School from the Curtis Institute of Music, where in her previous role as Managing Director of Communications she oversaw schoolwide communications strategies and institutional positioning. With thirteen years of experience at Curtis in roles of increasing scope, she managed public relations campaigns for initiatives including major campus expansions and international tours; led the team that marketed 200 free and ticketed performances each year in Philadelphia and internationally; oversaw alumni and parent relations; and drove digital content production. She is experienced in capitalizing on trends in social media, web, and video to bring organizational stories directly to the public, and has special expertise in public relations with a proven track record of generating local, national, and international press coverage.

"Jennifer Kallend brings to the Colburn School a forward-thinking approach to communications, and exceptional experience in communicating the work of a premiere conservatory," said Sel Kardan, President and Chief Executive Officer. "As the Colburn School continues to expand its programming and develop a groundbreaking campus expansion, Jennifer's leadership will be instrumental in ushering in this new era of growth for the school."

"I'm thrilled to join the Colburn School and support the school's commitment to excellence in music and dance education at all levels - from the young but highly distinguished conservatory to the robust community program. It's a particularly exciting moment for Colburn, as it is poised to expand the campus with a new concert hall and facility, and deepen its investment in the community. I'm looking forward to telling the story of this admirable work and joining the thriving cultural life of Los Angeles."

Highlights of Kallend's career at Curtis include managing the publicity and marketing campaign for a nine city tour of Europe with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, leveraging the series of performances to reach new audiences, influencing local opinion leaders, and generating international media attention. She has also developed public programming with partners in Philadelphia including the Wharton School and the National Museum of American Jewish History to raise awareness among local audiences, and nurtured partnerships with local and national TV and radio broadcasting Curtis performances, including American Public Media's Performance Today and WHYY-TV's On Stage at Curtis. She has managed public relations campaigns for watershed moments in the life of school, including a $65 million new facility expansion doubling the size of the campus and the launch of free online classes, making Curtis the first conservatory to utilize a massive, open, online course (MOOC) platform in partnership with Coursera. Originally from Chicago, she began her career in public relations at ALM Communications and interned at the Grant Park Music Festival. She earned a bachelor of music degree at DePaul University where she studied flute with Mary Stolper.