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Deborah F. Rutter, current president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, will take over as the Kennedy Center’s new president on Sept. 1 2014, Kennedy Center chairman David Rubenstein announced in a press event today. The center’s current president, Michael Kaiser, leaves his post on Aug. 31, 2014 to transition into a new role at the University of Maryland.
Rutter has earned praise for her work with the Chicago Symphony, particularly in the fundraising department. In 2012, Chicago magazine named her one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Chicagoans for her record fundraising, and also for snatching up conductor Riccardo Muti as the orchestra’s music director and Yo-Yo Ma as creative consultant. The search committee in charge of finding the center’s new president agreed on Rutter unanimously, the Post reports.
When she starts her new gig, Rutter—-the first woman to hold the job—-will oversee the Kennedy Center’s $100 million expansion project.