Former Kennedy Center president Deborah F. Rutter has been appointed vice provost for the arts at Duke. Rutter will join Duke on Sept. 1, 2025, succeeding John Brown, who stepped down on June 30, 2025, after five years in the role. In a statement, Provost Alec D. Gallimore said, “Deborah Rutter is one of the nation’s most accomplished arts leaders. Throughout {…}
On Thursday, June 5, 2025, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) honored two major cultural leaders with its 2025 Legacy Awards at a sold-out Gala Dinner in Easton, Maryland. Now in its 27th year, the MSO presented its National Legacy Award to Deborah Rutter, former President of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and its annual Legacy Award to Maestro {…}
Former president of the Kennedy Center, Deborah Rutter, has released a statement responding to false allegations regarding the management of the center. Rutter said, “I am deeply troubled by the false allegations regarding the management of the Kennedy Center being made by people without the context or expertise to understand the complexities involved in nonprofit and arts management, which has {…}
Opera AMERICA has announced that Deborah F. Rutter, the former president of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is set to be the Keynote Speaker for the Opera Conference 2025. Rutter was the first woman president of the Kennedy Center, holding the position from 2014 through 2025. Rutter was ousted as President Donald Trump took over the institution and {…}
Deborah Rutter is speaking out after being ousted from the Kennedy Center. In an interview with NPR, Rutter noted that she didn’t feel safe about the future of the Center and was uncertain about its sustainability. She said, “I’m really, really, really sad about what happens to our artists, what happens on our stages and our staff who support them. {…}
The National Symphony’s Artistic Advisor Ben Folds has resigned while Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter has been fired. Folds took to social media and said, “Given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic adviser to the N.S.O. Mostly, and above all, I will miss the musicians of our nation’s symphony orchestra — just the {…}