Michael M. Kaiser is President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He has expanded the educational and artistic programming for the nation’s center for the performing arts and has overseen a major renovation effort of most of the Center’s theaters. As Kennedy Center President, Mr. Kaiser is responsible for the artistic and financial health of the Center’s extensive theater, jazz, chamber music, and dance seasons as well as its affiliates the National Symphony Orchestra VSA, and Washington National Opera. Dubbed “the Turnaround King” for his work at numerous institutions including the Royal Opera House (London), American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Kansas City Ballet, Michael has earned international renown for his expertise in arts management. He advises performing arts organizations around the world, working with arts leaders in nearly 70 countries. Upon joining the Kennedy Center in 2001, Michael created the Kennedy Center Arts Management Institute, renamed the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the Kennedy Center after a $22.5 million commitment from Dick and Betsy DeVos, which aims to train the current and next generation of arts leaders. The Institute features a variety of initiatives and programs, including an online education forum for arts administrators at artsmanager.org, where professionals and students in the field can share experiences, seek employment, and post opportunities. He founded Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative in February 2009, and embarked on a 50-state tour to spread his arts expertise across the United States.
An ArtsJournal Discussion | Jan. 23-27, 2012
