Kennedy Center appoints volinist to key role

Kennedy Center appoints volinist to key role

News

norman lebrecht

December 08, 2022

Press release:

Deborah Rutter and the Kennedy Center announced today that violinist Jennifer Koh has been appointed Artistic Director of the Fortas Chamber Music Concerts, replacing Joseph Kalichstein, who passed away in March 2022. Koh’s appointment is effective immediately and extends into spring 2026; her first full season of programming will be the 2024–2025 season…

President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Deborah Rutter said of Jennifer’s appointment: “We welcome Jenny with open arms to the Kennedy Center. Her artistic voice is distinctive and her presence here will build on the incredible legacy and strength Yossi had built over the 25 seasons he oversaw Fortas. I have no doubt Jenny will push us forward in her artistic vision here at the Center.”

Why wait until 2024? Is life really so slow in the DC lane?

Comments

  • No Comment says:

    Chamber music concert series have to book early…in the United States this is often done 18-24 months in advance. Programming has probably already been done for 2022/23 and 2023/24.

    Jenny Koh is a wonderful person and musician—congratulations to her!

  • Greg Bottini says:

    Jennifer Koh is a fabulous violinist and musician.
    The Kennedy Center people couldn’t have made a better choice.
    Congratulations, good luck, and best wishes, Jennifer!

  • Herbie G says:

    Silly me. When I saw that headline, I thought the Kennedy Centre might have been endowed by Nigel’s son – paid for by his cocaine business (mentioned in another of today’s postings)!

    Good luck Jennifer. Wishing you as lengthy a career there as your illustrious predecessor.

  • Bratsche says:

    One can listen to Ms. Koh here and gain a sense of the artistic insight that guided her appointment: https://youtu.be/H7hFv0vKbj8

  • Couperin says:

    That’s great for her, especially since she’s a woefully underrepresented woman of color playing an instrument that almost no other Asian women have made a career of. Maybe in a hundred years things will improve.

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