LOS ANGELES (September 12, 2022)— The Music Center announced today that Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of Los Angeles’ premier performing arts destination, was formally admitted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (the Academy) as a member of the prestigious honor society’s Class of 2020. Founded in 1780, the Academy recognizes and celebrates the excellence of its members and convenes leaders from across disciplines, professions and perspectives to examine new ideas and address issues of importance to the nation and the world. Moore joined fellow members of both Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 in a two-day Induction Weekend ceremony, held September 9–10, at the Academy’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“It is a tremendous honor to be a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which is one of the oldest honor societies in the nation. The Academy’s mission and values reflect mine, among them advancing the common good, upholding democratic ideals, elevating the use of knowledge, embracing diversity and inclusivity and celebrating excellence,” said Moore. “Since joining The Music Center in 2015, I have guided our team to develop artistic programming reflective of Los Angeles’ rich diversity and established a new structure for our organization that embraces The Music Center’s operational and artistic roles. Together, we’ve worked to elevate The Music Center’s position as a cultural anchor for all Angelenos. As an official member of the Academy, I am inspired to continue embracing my passion for the arts and arts learning at L.A.’s premier performing arts destination with our vision of deepening the cultural lives of all.”
“Rachel’s induction into the Academy was a fitting occasion for us to meet again,” said David Oxtoby, president of the American Academy. Oxtoby was previously the President of Pomona College and recalled: “Soon after Rachel arrived at The Music Center, I invited her to spend an afternoon with students discussing opportunities in the arts. She was an inspiring speaker who helped everyone think big. I am delighted, some years later, to honor her big achievement. Rachel champions the arts with a commitment to both bold creativity and strong leadership.”
Moore leads the $70 million company that manages The Music Center campus, including the 12-acre adjacent green space known as Grand Park, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles, overseeing more than $2 billion in County assets. She is credited with revitalizing The Music Center’s board of directors, focusing on women and people of color, to successfully diversify its board composition from six percent to 33 percent and to add fresh perspectives and skills to its strategic initiatives. She secured a long-term lease for both The Music Center and the park and also brought to fruition the long-standing plan to renovate The Music Center’s plaza into a more open and progressive environment for county residents and visitors. She was key to the fundraising for the plaza’s renovation and in securing the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ financial support; after a 20-month renovation, the plaza reopened on time and budget to much community and civic fanfare and was named Jerry Moss Plaza on the heels of a $25 million gift from A&M Records co-founder Jerry Moss and his wife Tina. Moore also spearheaded the development of the TMC Arts Fund, launched with $14 million, that endeavors to broaden access to the arts for all communities of Los Angeles through public programs, arts learning and dance and dancing experiences.
Moore joined The Music Center from American Ballet Theatre (ABT), where she served as CEO since 2011 and as its executive director since 2004. She comes from the performing arts, having danced with ABT as a member of its corps de ballet from 1984–1988. Moore has served as director of Boston Ballet’s Center for Dance Education (2001–2004); executive director of Project STEP, a classical music school for students of color in Boston; and managing director of Ballet Theatre of Boston. She has also held senior positions with Americans for the Arts and the National Cultural Alliance, both in Washington, D.C., and was named CEO of the Year by the Los Angeles Business Journal for its 2019 Women’s Council & Awards. She is an officer and trustee of the Economic Club of New York and served on the advisory committee for the Los Angeles County Equity and Inclusion Initiative and the L.A. 2028 Olympic Games Bid Committee. Moore serves on the board of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board and on the board of the Central City Association of Los Angeles among other board and committee responsibilities. She is the author of a book, The Artist’s Compass: The Complete Guide to Building a Life and a Living in the Performing Arts (May 2016). She holds an A.B. in Ethics & Political Philosophy from Brown University, Phi Beta Kappa, Honors (1992); and an M.A. in Arts Management from Columbia University (1994). She received an honorary doctorate in Musical Arts from the Colburn School.
Moore is among 276 artists, scholars, scientists and leaders in the public, non-profit and private sectors inducted into The Academy’s Class of 2020, which includes singer, songwriter and activist Joan Baez, former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., author Ann Patchett, lawyer Anita Hill and filmmaker Richard Linklater. Historically among its ranks, the Academy’s members include such prominent individuals as Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Maria Mitchell, Robert Frost, Margaret Mead and Martin Luther King, Jr. International honorary members include Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Laurence Olivier, John Maynard Keynes, Akira Kurosawa and Nelson Mandela.
About The Music Center
The Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. The $70 million non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: TMC Arts and TMC Ops. TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round
programming inside The Music Center’s four theatres, on Jerry Moss Plaza, outside at Grand Park—a 12-acre adjacent green space—in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County and on a digital platform called The Music Center Offstage. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, free and low-cost public concerts and events, as well as live and digital K–12 arts education programs, workshops, performances, interactive experiences and special events. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the Plaza and Grand Park, which comprise $2 billion in county assets, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies—Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org. Follow The Music Center on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @MusicCenterLA.
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