The Music Center Names Celesta M. Billeci As New Principal Advisor For Dance Season Programming
Billeci, who will work closely with The Music Center President & CEO Rachel S. Moore, succeeds TMC Arts Senior Advisor, Dance Presentations Martin Wechsler.
The Music Center has announced that Celesta M. Billeci, the lauded Miller McCune executive director emerita of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Arts & Lectures, will join L.A.'s performing arts center as principal strategic dance advisor for the institution's Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center series. Billeci, who will work closely with The Music Center President & CEO Rachel S. Moore, succeeds TMC Arts Senior Advisor, Dance Presentations Martin Wechsler, who will retire at the end of 2025.
In her new role, Billeci will further enhance The Music Center's longstanding commitment to present the highest caliber of dance experiences in Los Angeles. She recently concluded a distinguished tenure at UCSB Arts & Lectures, where she served as the longest-standing director in the organization's 65-year history. Under her leadership, UCSB Arts & Lectures grew from a modest campus-focused series into a nationally respected presenting powerhouse; Billeci expanded its annual budget from under $1 million to more than $10 million and helped elevate Santa Barbara into a top destination for superb performing arts programming.
“Celesta is not only one of the most respected performing arts leaders and curators in the nation, but also someone I have known from a very young age. We grew up together in Sacramento's dance community, training at the same ballet studio, and have admired each other's accomplishments and success in bringing unforgettable dance experiences to countless audiences in Southern California. For more than two decades, Celesta's artistic vision shaped the trajectory of concert dance presentation at UCSB Arts & Lectures and the West Coast,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “Her vast knowledge of and deep relationships with dance companies and choreographers around the world, paired with her impeccable eye for quality, make her an ideal and trusted partner. Together, we will continue to advance The Music Center's role as the premier home for dance in Los Angeles.”
At UCSB, Billeci reimagined the campus as a coveted stop for major American and international dance companies, including Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Preljocaj, Batsheva Dance Company, Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan, Dorrance Dance, Lyon Opera Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, and New York City Ballet Moves. Her influence is recognized across the field. Billeci is the 2025 recipient of the Tim Wilson Distinguished Service Award, honoring her outstanding impact on the performing arts presenting community in the West. Prior to UCSB, Billeci worked for more than 10 years at the UCLA Center for the Performing Arts (now known as the UCLA Center for the Art of Performance).
Billeci also received the Santa Barbara County 2024 Leadership in Arts Individual Award, reflecting her transformational expansion of community-based cultural initiatives, including ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara!, which shared the rich heritage of Latin America with thousands of local students and community members, and Access for All, providing arts learning experiences for K-12 students. In addition to elevating Santa Barbara's cultural presence, Billeci forged impactful partnerships with performing arts institutions nationwide, such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and Cal Performances, advancing significant artistic commissions and premieres across the dance and music arenas.
“I am honored to collaborate with The Music Center, a world-class performing arts institution I have admired throughout my career,” said Celesta M. Billeci. “Helping to expand and curate an acclaimed dance season for an organization with a deep commitment to artistic excellence, civic engagement, arts education and cultural vibrancy is an extraordinary opportunity. I look forward to working with The Music Center team and especially with my longtime friend Rachel, who is known internationally for her clear and ambitious vision. We share a passion for the dance field and a love for arts education, and we are excited to bring today's most compelling and distinguished dance works to L.A. audiences!”
Billeci holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles. She and her husband John Hajda live in Santa Barbara; their son Alexander is a first-year student at Cornell University.
For more information about The Music Center, visit musiccenter.org.
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