James Edward Cambron Announced As Executive Director Of Kimmel Center Fest

Kimmel Center President and CEO Anne Ewers announced today the appointment of James Edward ("Ed") Cambron as the first Executive Director of the Center's inaugural international arts Festival scheduled to take place from April 7 through May 1, 2011. The month-long Festival, initially funded by a 10-million dollar grant from the Annenberg Foundation, will be the first of its kind in the region, embracing over 60 arts and cultural organizations in Philadelphia.

Having been a key member of The Philadelphia Orchestra's senior management for over 20 years, Cambron has had increasing responsibilities for marketing one of America's finest symphony orchestras. As Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations since 2003, he has introduced a series of innovative communications initiatives and developed creative solutions for acquiring, retaining and engaging audiences, as well as implementing electronic and new online distribution outlets for the Orchestra.

"We are ecstatic that Ed has agreed to serve as the Executive Director of our inaugural Festival. A man with extraordinary management skills and a thorough understanding of the cultural scene in the region, Ed is the perfect fit to oversee this enormous endeavor. He will be an invaluable asset to the Kimmel Center team, and we are delighted to welcome him as we embark on this new addition to Philadelphia's cultural panorama," said Ewers in announcing his appointment.

Commenting on Cambron's new position, Frank P. Slattery, Executive Director and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra said, "What a great opportunity this is for Ed. The Kimmel Center made an outstanding choice, and this organization is immensely grateful to him for his many innovative ideas, and for the thoughtful and sensitive way he has handled the many complexities of his position over the years. He will be missed at The Philadelphia Orchestra, but we are all gratified he will be close by and remain a vital part of the arts scene in Philadelphia."

Encompassing all of the Kimmel Center's eight resident companies, the Festival will also include over 50 performing, educational and visual arts organizations across the city-ranging in scope from theater, dance and film organizations to museums, galleries, universities and libraries-all focused on a common theme of artistic revolutionaries and visionaries in Paris at the start of the 20th Century, along with 21st Century contemporaries. Thus far, 10 new works have been commissioned that will have their world premieres in Philadelphia as part of the Festival in 2011.

"It is an honor to be asked to serve as Executive Director of the Kimmel Center's first art festival. Building on my years of experience with The Philadelphia Orchestra and working collaboratively with many of Philadelphia's arts and cultural institutions, I am eager to lead a festival that will showcase Philadelphia and so many of its finest organizations in such a dynamic way," stated Ed Cambron about his appointment.

Cambron, who becomes the Festival's Executive Director on July 1, will be responsible for supervising all facets of Festival operations and management, working closely with Kimmel Center executive and senior management, including programming, marketing and development, as well as a newly formed Festival team comprised of Artistic Producer Barbara Silverstein and a Festival manager, with additional staff joining over the next several months.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.