BR AVO!
THE 2024/25 SEASON
3 4 5 6–7 8–11 12–16 17–24 25–26 27–38
Welcome Letter
Mission, Vision, and Values
Strategic Plan Update
Honoring Celebrity Series Visionaries
Equity & Accessibility
Arts for All! Community Engagement Programs
Celebrity Series’ 2024/25 Season
Financial Results
Gratitude Board and Staff Listings
2024/25 SEASON SPONSORS
Crescendo Donor Advised Fund and Susan & Michael Thonis
COVER PHOTO COLLAGE: L-R, ROW 1:JULIA FISCHER & JAN LISIECKI, LANG LANG, DANIIL TRIFONOV & LEONIDAS KAVAKOS, MEOW MEOW, ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER, ROW 2: NINO DE LOS REYES, MIDORI & ÖZGÜR AYDIN, YUJA WANG & VÍKINGUR ÓLAFSSON, NOAM PIKELNY & FRIENDS, ROW 3: LISA WEILERSTEIN & INON BARNATAN, EVGENY KISSIN, TESSA LARK, JOSHUA ROMAN, & EDGAR MEYER, HIROMI, LINDA MAY HAN OH, ROW 4: EDMAR COLÓN, FLEUR BARRON & KUNAL LAHIRY, JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS, ZLATOMIR FUNG BACK COVER PHOTO: ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
All photos: Robert Torres
All photos by Robert Torres except: pg 11 Josiah Quincy Elementary School group: photo Tim Mah; pg 19 Harvard Office for the Arts workshop: photo Brooke Trisolini; pg 18 BAA Tech Rehearsal photo: photo Kristín Otharsson; pg 20 Berliner Philharmoniker Symphony Hall: photo Rob Davidson; pg 20 Berliner Philharmoniker members at Josiah Quincy Elementary School: photo Tim Mah; pg 22 Boston Conservatory at Berklee Faculty Brass Ensemble: photo Taylor Rossi; pg 24 David Sedaris: photo Anne Fishbein; pg 24 Ina Garten: courtesy Penguin Books; pg 38, Elisabeth Swerz photo courtesy Elisabeth Swerz.
39 Lang Lang Symphony Hall
welCome
A message from the Chair and President & Executive Director
Dear Friends,
This was a season that opened our doors ever wider. From the core of Boston to Groton Hill, we met neighbors near and far.
We invited Bostonians of any ability, any age, and any background to dance along with Ailey legends, becoming part of a masterpiece while learning excerpts from Mr. Ailey’s essential Revelations, through five community workshops. The second year of our Ailey Ambassadors program extended a personal invitation and a warm welcome to the performances themselves from figures in Boston’s dance, academic, and cultural communities.
In our new partnership with Boston Arts Academy, we welcomed Celebrity Series audiences into a beautiful new venue in the Fenway and invited students behind the curtain with artistic and technical workshops. Boston Arts Academy students welcomed audiences to their school for Caleb Teicher and Conrad Tao’s COUNTERPOINT: they scanned tickets and directed audience members as they took on the front-of-house responsibilities.
We furthered our accessibility work and strove to embody equity, one of our institutional values, in every performance, every interaction, and every point of contact with an artist, ticket holder, or supporter. We believe that welcoming is a key part of what will help this organization grow and keep us strong financially.
And, with the launch of the ArtsCard Boston app, we have forged new partnerships and will offer audiences age 35 and under a streamlined and convenient way to order tickets made just for them.
Welcome to BRAVO! and thank you for your support throughout this season.
Warmly,
Joshua Boger, PhD
Gary Dunning Chair, Board of Directors President & Executive Director
MISSION
To enrich and inspire our community through exceptional live performances.
VISION
We envision a community of Greater Boston where the performing arts are a valued, life-long, shared experience—on stages, on streets, in neighborhoods—everywhere.
VALUES
Collaboration, Curiosity, Equity, Integrity, Joy
Our Commitment to Equity
We recognize that equity is crucial to the long-term viability of both the arts and culture sector and communities-at-large. We are committed to ensuring that everyone who wants has equal access to a full, vibrant, creative life, which is essential to a healthy and democratic society.
Our equity-centered approach informs how we structure the organization, how we deliver our programs and services, how we engage with the broader community, and how we support our audiences. We seek to be a community that works against racism, religious intolerance, and discrimination based on gender, sexuality, class, age, and ability.
We hold ourselves accountable through regular internal meetings, data collection and analysis, and soliciting feedback from a variety of our key stakeholders: our colleagues, artists, supporters, and audiences. We look forward to continuing this work and learning in partnership with these communities.
Yuja Wang and Víkingur Ólafsson Symphony Hall
Putting Our Strategic Plan to Work
In May 2024, we adopted an ambitious five-year strategic plan to guide our next chapter of growth and impact. This season, we made meaningful progress on each of the plan’s five primary strategies:
Artistic Excellence & Variety
Achieved an operating surplus through record-setting ticket sales and strong annual giving. 2 3 4 5 1
Presented in two new venues, increased the number of artist debuts, continued programming at Groton Hill Music Center, and shifted away from digital offerings to focus on live performance experiences.
Growing a More Diverse Audience
Improved ease of use for audiences through expanded dining recommendations near each performance venue, and launched ArtsCard Boston, a new app designed to help younger audiences discover and engage with Boston’s arts and culture scene.
Mission-Driven Branding
Engaged creative agency Colossus Creative Co. to explore a potential name change and rebrand that better reflects our mission, values, and full range of programs.
Defining & Growing Community Impact
Completed our first full year using a new Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework, added a new staff role focused on deepening community engagement, and launched the first year of the Roxbury Initiative.
Fueling Growth & Stability
To learn more, visit celebrityseries.org/mission
The Amy & Joshua Boger Innovation Fund
In 2017, Celebrity Series established the Innovation Fund, a managed withdrawal fund designed to support a rich variety of artistic and organizational infrastructure activities. Since its inception, the fund has helped resource more than 125 different projects, including artist debuts, expanded community engagement activities, and investments in technology and infrastructure.
This 2024/25 season, Celebrity Series honored longtime Board Chair Joshua Boger and his wife Amy by naming the fund the Amy & Joshua Boger Innovation Fund, in recognition of two decades of exemplary support and leadership. Amy and Joshua generously seeded the fund with an initial investment of $4M, inspiring a number of other donors to do the same. To view a full list of donors to the Amy & Joshua Boger Innovation Fund, visit page 31.
Celebrity Series announced the naming at the May 2, 2025 SHINE! gala honoring Joshua Boger, held at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts. More than 300 people attended the event which raised $1M in support of Celebrity Series. To read more about the 2025 SHINE! gala, visit page 32.
Marylen Sternweiler Award for Dedicated Service
Longtime Celebrity Series supporter, volunteer, and friend Marylen Sternweiler passed away on April 12, 2025 at the age of 89. For five decades, Marylen was an extraordinary member of our community, serving as an active volunteer, an avid audience member, and a generous donor. Many remember Marylen's warm and welcoming presence at our performances. She gave countless hours of her time both in and out of the performance halls through her service on our Board of Advisors and was instrumental in the shaping of our organization through her creation and tireless leadership of our valued Stewardship program.
In honor of Marylen’s dedication, Celebrity Series’ Board of Directors created the Marylen Sternweiler Award for Dedicated Service that recognizes individuals or organizations who have demonstrated deep commitment to the mission, vision, and values of Celebrity Series and have worked hard to advance our mission. The inaugural recipient of the award was Marylen herself, and she proudly accepted the award in her home earlier this spring.
Marylen has deeply influenced so many of us, and her impact on our organization will long be remembered. Her legacy will live on through a planned gift to Celebrity Series.
See page 36 for a listing of Aaron Richmond Legacy Society (ARLS) members. To learn more, visit celebrityseries.org/ARLS
Marylen and Paul Lewis
The Equity Committee
Championing a culture of belonging and inclusion at all levels of the organization
The Equity Committee leads the Board effort to center equity as a strategic imperative for the organization. The Committee is comprised of representatives of each standing committee of the Board, the Board of Advisors, and staff members from each department. The Committee encourages, supports, and helps each board committee view its work through equity as a lens when developing each committee’s goals.
Throughout the 2024/25 season, the Equity Committee continued this work across six key strategies and actions:
• Ensure alignment of our strategic plans and our equity goals.
• Broaden the networks we use to identify and recruit new employees. Establish a diverse management team and equip them with knowledge and resources to manage equitably.
• Create a welcoming process and culture for all employees, focusing on those who are new to the organization or performing arts sector.
• Adopt an equitable approach to purchasing goods and services from third-party vendors.
• Establish an organization-wide culture that supports ongoing individual, team, department and community learning about equity.
• Establish a culture of feedback that results in authentic, actionable insight.
Evgeny Kissin Symphony Hall
Behind the Scenes, Building Bright Futures
How youth interns from Brighter Boston and ZUMIX gain real-world experience and real career momentum in technical production
As funding for public school arts programs continues to decline, alternative routes for training highly skilled and enthusiastic technical production personnel are vital to the future of the performing arts field. Since 2022 we have provided our youth production interns from Brighter Boston and ZUMIX a direct career pathway for young adults facing high barriers to the entertainment industry. Celebrity Series partners with both of these non-profit organizations to hire and
mentor students who help design and produce the audio, lighting, and video-capture for our Neighborhood Arts concerts.
The wide variety of Neighborhood Arts offerings provides a unique opportunity for production interns to learn about different types of performances.
As one intern said, “It’s been really cool getting to work on all kinds of shows—like dance, jazz, and classical—with Celebrity Series. I liked that we actually got to make our own choices about the lighting and have creative freedom.”
After receiving skills training, students require consistent exposure and experience in the professional world. As one intern shared, “I still have a lot to learn. When I took the classes, there were some things I didn’t fully understand but working for Celebrity Series allowed me to learn on the job.”
For the teens involved, we continue to witness how this work can instill confidence by allowing them to apply their new skills in supportive, professional settings. This collaboration builds their resumes and expands their portfolios, making them more competitive once they move forward in their careers.
Expanding Access to the Arts
In keeping with our commitment to equity, inclusion, and authentic welcoming, we opened more doors to the joy and connection of live performance
Our discounted ticket programs are intentionally designed to remove barriers—whether financial, cultural, or social—and to create meaningful entry points for individuals and communities historically underrepresented in Celebrity Series audiences.
In 2024/25, we increased the number of free and discounted tickets offered, providing thousands of people with access to exceptional live performances in spaces where they could feel invited, seen, and valued.
This season, we distributed more than 7,000 free and discounted tickets through multiple targeted programs:
• Card to Culture: 989 discounted tickets distributed to EBT and WIC cardholders through this statewide access initiative.
• Welcome Offer: 122 discounted tickets purchased by first-time Celebrity Series audiences.
• Take Your Seat: 2,060 free and discounted tickets provided to community partner organizations.
• 35 Under: 1,483 discounted tickets sold to younger audiences through our age-based access program, helping cultivate the next generation of arts-goers.
• Students: 2,189 student advance and rush tickets sold.
• VetTix: 303 free tickets provided to U.S. military veterans and their families.
• Wonderfund: 14 discounted tickets made available to children and families supported by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.
““These experiences are transformative for our students, opening their eyes to the beauty and power of the arts and leaving lasting impressions that inspire their growth as musicians and individuals.”
– Christopher Schroeder, Boston Music Project
“Thanks a bunch to the Celebrity Series of Boston for making it possible for this veteran to attend—and participate in— a magnificent performance by Meklit at the Berklee Performance Center on February 1st.
Great venue. Great stories. Great music. Great night.
Thanks so much to the Celebrity Series of Boston for supporting veterans by donating tickets to attend such fantastic events!”
– Bill, U.S. Army, 1987–2015
“
Berliner Philharmoniker Member Workshop
Josiah Quincy Elementary School
Meklit Berklee Performance Center
Arts for All! Community Programs
Working within a new Theory of Change framework for community engagement, this year we focused on monitoring our activities and evaluating our progress toward achieving our desired impact. Through activities such as:
• School visits by artists from the Berliner Philharmoniker, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Martha Graham Dance Company, and ten Neighborhood Arts artists;
• Workshops and performances in collaboration with youth arts organizations;
• Special opportunities to dive deeper into the artistry of groups like KODO.
We ensured that artists:
• Received promotional and financial support;
• Gained opportunities to co-create and collaborate with other artists;
• Gained experience with community engagement and performing for and with diverse audiences.
For partners, we:
• Increased capacity to present performing arts and use them as a tool to advance their own community-centered goals;
• Activated neighborhood venues with live performing arts experiences across a variety of genres and types;
• Supported them in deepening connections with their own constituents and community members.
Overwhelmingly, audiences at Neighborhood Arts concerts reported feeling welcomed and a sense of connection/belonging; feeling emotionally connected to the performance; and inspired to engage with more live performance.
ARTS FOR ALL! IMPACT AT-A-GLANCE
90 free-to-attend programs
7,865 people engaged across all programs
16 Neighborhood Arts performances and 8 co-presentations
2,547 Neighborhood Arts audience members
4,029 youth engaged
11 Neighborhood venues utilized
Stringfest: Borromeo String Quartet Salvation Army Kroc Center, Dorchester
Neighborhood Arts: Expanding Roots in Roxbury
More concerts, deeper partnerships, and a shared vision for arts and culture as neighborhood essentials
By working closely with and listening to Roxbury community leaders and partners, our Roxbury Initiative envisions a neighborhood where the arts are seen as vital and integral to daily life. Simultaneously, this initiative enables Celebrity Series to reach more people, diversify our audience, deepen audience engagement, and increase community impact.
Our first year of the Roxbury Initiative offered more free Neighborhood Arts concerts, a 30% increase over the previous year. We more than tripled the number of people engaged there, drawing 1,313 audience members and participants across 14 concerts, school visits, interactive workshops, and lecture-demonstrations as we built deeper connections to and within the neighborhood.
In April 2025 we were delighted to welcome Carmen Hernandez as Community Partnerships Liaison, a new member of the Community
Engagement team. This new position will help us expand both our activities and overall impact locally in the neighborhoods of Boston and Cambridge, with a particular emphasis on Roxbury.
We are so grateful to Lizbeth and George Krupp for their initial lead investment of Celebrity Series’ expansion in Roxbury. Alongside other lead funders—the Richard K. Lubin Family Foundation, Susanne Marcus Collins Foundation, and Amy and Joshua Boger—this support will increase the neighborhood’s cultural profile, building on a collective vision of a Roxbury where local performances and cultural activity are celebrated, embraced, and supported by residents and Boston-area visitors alike.
Carmen Hernandez
Wampanoag Nation Singers & Dancers Multicultural Arts Center, East Cambridge
Malpaso Dance Company Masterclass Jo-Mé Dance, Jamaica Plain
2024/25 Neighborhood Arts Artists
Zakiyyah Sutton, “hip hopera”
Ivanna Cuesta, Latin jazz
Mike Block, cello/vocals, classical/contemporary/folk
Gregory Groover & Charles Overton, jazz
Francesca McNeeley & Mary Ferrillo, classical
Edmar Colón & Alain Mallet, Latin jazz
Fabiola Méndez Quartet, Puerto Rican folk/jazz
Edmar Colón Jazz Quartet, Puerto Rican jazz
John Paul McGee Jazz Quartet, “Gospejazzical”
Veronica Robles Female Mariachi, Mexican folk music
Nino de los Reyes Flamenco ensemble, flamenco
Reggie Harris & Alastair Moock, American folk
Rasa String Quartet, East Asian/classical/Celtic music
Steph Davis, spirituals/original music
Maria Finkelmeier, Icelandic/folk/classical/original music
Angela Shankar, Icelandic/folk/classical/original music
Jenny Oliver & Steph Davis, contemporary dance & original music
Castle of our Skins Wind Quintet, Black classical music
Wampanoag Nation Singers & Dancers, Indigenous cultural song and dance
Brian Nabors, composer, Black classical music
Borromeo String Quartet, classical
Boston Conservatory Faculty Brass Quintet, classical
Alice Gomez, composer, classical
Nadia Washington Jazz Quartet, jazz
Trio Oko (harp, violin, cello), classical
Yeemz, singer-songwriter
Balourdet Quartet ft. Leo Vasquez and Owen Young, classical
Yağmur Soydemir, jazz fusion/world music
Thank You to Our 2024/25 Community Partners
ARTS ORGANIZATIONS
Ágora Cultural Architects
BalletRox
Boston Arts Academy
Boston City Singers
Boston Music Project
Boston String Academy
Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras
Boston University Choral Department
Brighter Boston
City Ballet of Boston
City Step
City Strings United
Community Music Center of Boston
Hamilton-Garrett Center for Music & Arts
Hyde Square Task Force
Jo-Mé Dance
Midday Movement Series
Mission Hill Arts Festival
Multicultural Arts Center
musiConnects
Opening Doors to the Arts
Project STEP
Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts
Roxbury Concert Series
Shelter Music Boston
Stajez Cultural Arts Center
Urbanity Dance
Veronica Robles Cultural Center ZUMIX
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
Arlington St. Church
Bethel A.M.E. Church
Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston
Chez-Vous Roller Rink
City Hall Plaza
Cruz C.A.R.E.S.
Holland School of Technology
Japan Society of Boston
Roslindale Community Centre
Roxbury Branch Library
Roxbury Community College
Roxbury YMCA
Salvation Army Kroc Center
St. Stephens Youth Programs
“Hamilton-Garrett Center for Music and Arts values its partnership with the Celebrity Series of Boston, which has given our students access to inspiring master classes and unforgettable performances, with Alvin Ailey being a favorite among our families! This collaboration furthers our mission to provide high-quality live performances to our community in the heart of Roxbury.”
– Gerami Groover-Flores, Executive and Artistic Director,
Hamilton-Garrett Center for Music and Arts
“
The Boston Home
Twelfth Baptist Church
UU Urban Ministry
Woods Mullen Shelter
SCHOOLS
Amigos K-8 School
Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Boston Latin School
Boston Renaissance Charter Public School
Brooke High School
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School
Charles Sumner Elementary School
Conservatory Lab Charter School
Hernandez K-8 School
Josiah Quincy Elementary School
Josiah Quincy Upper School
Longy School of Music of Bard College
Margarita Muñiz Academy
Newton South High School
Roger Clap School
Sumner Upper School
The Patrick Lyndon Pilot School
Ailey Revelations Celebration
Teaching artists and former legendary dancers with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Renee Robinson and Amos Machanic, Jr., accompanied by percussionist Roderick Jackson, visited four Boston neighborhoods March 22 & 23 to lead the Ailey Revelations Celebration workshops. More than 500 people of all ages participated in this free opportunity to gather, dance, and celebrate Ailey’s legacy in Boston.
Compared to past Ailey workshops, participation increased five-fold, and we quadrupled the number of community venues. Celebrity Series intentionally expanded our community partner relationships with four new venue partners, all in walkable locations and accessible by public transportation:
• Boston Renaissance Charter Public School, Hyde Park
• Brooke Charter High School, Mattapan
• Roxbury YMCA
• Chez-Vous Roller Skating Rink, Dorchester
To celebrate the incredible local talent present in each host venue’s neighborhood, Project Manager Shaumba-Yandje Dibinga curated a roster of local hosts and performing groups as event openers:
• Voices of Renaissance Choir
• Brooke High School Soarin' Steppaz
• Boston Rhythm Riders
• Seniors on the Move
• 40+ Double Dutch Club
• OrigiNation Junior Dance Teams
• Ms. 5,6,7,8 (Chanel Thompson)
• Angie Dickerson
• Courtney Boston
Prior to the workshops, Celebrity Series donated 54 books about legendary choreographer Alvin Ailey and the company to 11 Boston Public Library branches in the four neighborhoods where the workshops took place. Books were also made available to peruse at each workshop.
In addition to learning Ailey’s iconic choreography, participants at each location were able to enjoy themed Ailey coloring pages, Revelations-inspired costumes with a photobooth, and a gathering with food following each workshop.
These additional activities provided options for those less comfortable with dancing…and even encouraged a few wary onlookers to transition from the coloring table to the dance floor.
“Alvin Ailey makes me feel alive!”
– Event participant
“
Alvin Ailey Dancers - Revelations Workshop Roxbury Community College
Shaumba-Yandje Dibinga
Ailey Ambassador Program
Local cultural leaders helped welcome new audiences to the power, legacy, and joy of Alvin Ailey
In spring 2025, we deepened our partnership with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater by continuing our Ailey Ambassador program—an initiative designed to welcome more people into the joy and power of Ailey performances at the Boch Center Wang Theatre.
We partnered with 18 community-rooted cultural leaders from across Greater Boston, equipping them with social media toolkits and personalized discount codes to share with their networks. Through their outreach and advocacy, the Ailey Ambassadors helped connect hundreds of new audience members with the artistry and legacy of Alvin Ailey, resulting in more than 230 tickets sold.
More importantly, the program helped foster authentic connections between Celebrity Series, the Ailey company, and a broader, more diverse audience—creating a more inclusive and welcoming experience for all.
We’re proud of the energy and impact these ambassadors brought to our season, and look forward to building on this success in 2025/26.
Thank You to 2024/25 Ailey Ambassadors
Olawumi Akinwumi
CEO & Creative Director, AfroDesiaCity
Bren Atchison
Community Organizer
Maria Casas
Early Childhood Media Consultant, Maka Media
Founder, Read con Ritmo
Tina Cavicchio
Director & Founder, Next Level Fusion
Leland Owen Clarke, EdD
Professor of the Practice, Musicology & Ethnomusicology, Boston University College of Fine Arts
Member, Board of Advisors, Celebrity Series of Boston
Angie Dickerson
Boston Rhythm Riders Line Dance Movement
Adrienne Hawkins
Boston Dance Studios/BDA
Lisa Kelleher
Program Manager, BalletRox
Katie Logan
Associate Director, Evolve Dynamicz
Dr. Charles Chip Mc Neal
Brandeis University
Member, Board of Advisors, Celebrity Series of Boston
Meg McGrath
Executive Director, Jean Appolon Expressions
Sharon Montella
Hip Hop Ballerina Singer
Jenny Oliver
Artist, Dancer, Teacher, Choreographer
Allison Penn
Dancer & Choreographer, Novum Dance Collective
Hayley Qin
Composer, Vocalist, Cellist
Carmen Rizzo
Boston Dance Alliance
Amir Tadmor
Member, Board of Advisors, Celebrity Series of Boston
Madison Wagaman
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Dance Student
2024/25 Subscription Season
It is the wide range of performing arts venues in our city—some new, some historic, some widely known, some hidden gems—that fuels the diversity of Celebrity Series’ programming.
Cambridge’s brand-new Arrow Street Arts debuted as a welcoming, intimate, and flexible space for jazz and an exciting music/dance collaboration. And at the historic Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, the Martha Graham Dance Company returned to the Celebrity Series, celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2026.
Groton Hill Music Center again extended our reach and brought in new audience households, and Emanuel Ax inaugurated the first Celebrity Series performance in the larger Concert Hall there.
Coordinating the programming for such a variety of venues can be challenging, but it ultimately offers the best opportunity to provide a fulfilling and powerful experience on both sides of the proscenium.
2024/25 Subscription Season By The Numbers:
69 ticketed performances
28 Celebrity Series debuts
7 Boston debuts
56,856 in-person attendees
2,189 student tickets distributed 11,222 new audience members welcomed
Emanuel Ax Groton Hill Music Center's Concert Hall
New Venues, Deepening Impact
Boston Arts Academy
From Alvin Ailey to Martha Graham, for decades Celebrity Series has presented exciting dance ensembles to enthusiastic Boston audiences. As our interest grew in broadening our dance offerings, our team searched for a small to mid-size theater with which to collaborate. This led to an opportunity to deepen our relationship with a longtime partner Boston Arts Academy (BAA).
COUNTERPOINT, the latest collaboration between pianist and composer Conrad Tao and choreographer and tap dancer Caleb Teicher, offered BAA students backstage job shadowing opportunities, front-of-house ushering roles, an interactive workshop on improvisation and collaboration, and overall, an incredibly positive first experience for both organizations as our venue partner. BAA faculty and staff shared that students felt respected and considered, and that there was a sense of mutual trust from Celebrity Series staff.
Learn more about our collaboration with Boston Arts Academy at cseries.org/ImpactBAA
““Sometimes bringing adults into the space, they don't take us as seriously. But we've been very trusted with the process. They've been putting us at the front line of a lot of the problems and seeing how we can help. And that's been fun.”
– BAA Student on backstage tech job shadowing
“I was so grateful that we are working with you all, for the sense of respect you bring for the work we do at BAA, and the consideration and grace you give our students. The role modeling is essential for them.”
– Maura Tighe, BAA Artistic Director
“The artists were beyond exceptional, and the opportunity for our students to work with them will leave a lasting impression. This partnership is the beginning of a vision we had when we planned for the opening of the new building, and to see it coming to fruition is deeply inspiring.”
– Tyrone Sutton, BAA Head of School
Arrow Street Arts
This year launched our venue partnership with Arrow Street Arts, a new flexible performance space in Harvard Square. Opened in 2024 with the belief that art creates community and community creates belonging, Arrow Street Arts offers accessible, multi-arts spaces and production opportunities to artists and organizations who gather, engage, and connect their communities through the transformative powers of live, in-person performances.
In fall 2024, we co-presented a free lunchtime concert series featuring a pop-up café as part of our Neighborhood Arts program. We saw an ideal location to bring back the Jazz Festival to great success, featuring four artists in eight concerts. The space was able to shift to accommodate Action at a Distance’s Graveyards and Gardens, a collaboration between choreographer/dancer Vanessa Goodman and composer/instrumentalist Caroline Shaw Goodman and Shaw also offered a movement and voice workshop to Harvard students and engaged in a post-show discussion with violinist and professor Sharan Leventhal. Fun fact: the houseplants on stage for this show have retired from their stage careers and are currently living with Celebrity Series staff!
We look forward to returning to Arrow Street Arts in 2025/26 with another Jazz Festival and music/movement collaborative work.
Action at a Distance: Graveyards and Gardens Arrow Street Arts
Harvard Office for the Arts workshop Arrow Street Arts
Classical Stories
The Berliner Philharmoniker shared a sublime account of Bruckner’s Fifth Symphony with a capacity crowd at Symphony Hall, but that wasn’t their only performance in Boston.
As part of the orchestra’s commitment to give back to each of its host cities, orchestra members presented free events to share their artistry with the wider community. Musicians presented a concert for students at Josiah Quincy Elementary School, a masterclass at Boston String Academy, a lecture/ demonstration at the Goethe-Institut, and a special trio event in partnership with Shelter Music at the Woods Mullen Shelter for homeless women.
““The music was awesome and relaxing from the daily struggles. Listening helps what we are going through being homeless.”
How did you feel after the concert?
“Sad it was over (some tears) and thankful I saw it.”
“I enjoyed it ALL! And thank you once again.”
– Woods Mullen audience members post-event survey
Berliner Philharmoniker Workshop Josiah Quincy School
Berliner Philharmoniker Symphony Hall
Seong-Jin Cho Symphony Hall
Dover Quartet NEC's Jordan Hall
Jazz Stories
Our audience-favorite Jazz Festival returned this season with four nights of music at Cambridge’s Arrow Street Arts. Next-generation pianist Sean Mason debuted with his quartet, and bassists Linda May Han Oh and Mali Obomsawin appeared with their ensembles. Harpist Brandee Younger debuted with a performance paying tribute to jazz harp pioneer Dorothy Ashby.
A sold-out house welcomed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) with Wynton Marsalis to Symphony Hall, but the performance was just one facet of the band’s experience in Boston this year.
Students from area high schools and music education partners enjoyed an invited soundcheck and Q&A with JLCO at Symphony Hall before enjoying the performance through our Take Your Seat free and low-cost ticketing program. The next day, members of the Orchestra offered a clinic at Boston Latin School for jazz band members from Boston Arts Academy, Boston Latin, and Newton South high schools. Members also performed alongside a Berklee student duo at The Boston Home for 75 residents living with degenerative neurological diseases.
Sean Mason Quartet Arrow Street
JLCO masterclass at Boston Latin
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Brandee Younger Trio
Linda May Han Oh Quintet
Stave Sessions
Stave Sessions returned to Davis Square’s Crystal Ballroom at the Somerville Theatre for another year of music that defies categorization. Two-cello string quartet Owls offered contemporary compositions alongside classical selections, and cellist Seth Parker Woods wove the Sarabande movements from Bach cello suites through a program of contemporary selections that reflected on Black identities. Singer-songwriter Courtney Swain created a swirl of live, looped, and recorded sound, and brass quartet The Westerlies helped audience members of all ages celebrate a memorable Valentine’s Day.
Solo(s) Together
Launched as a reflection on the isolations of the pandemic, the Solo(s) Together commissioning project continued during the Neighborhood Arts season. Composer Brian Raphael Nabors created a five-movement work, “The Movement,” in partnership with the wind quintet of Boston’s acclaimed Black arts collective, Castle of our Skins.
Composer Alice Gomez created “The Magnificent Musical Circus,” and she visited Boston to hear the world premiere performance by the Boston Conservatory at Berklee Faculty Brass Ensemble These two free concerts invited audiences of all ages to experience the wonder of discovering a new piece of music without the barrier of price.
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Faculty Brass Ensemble Arlington Street Church, Back Bay Castle of our Skins Bethel AME Church, Jamaica Plain
Seth Parker Woods
Courtney Swain
Dance Stories
Dance this season kept us grounded in tradition but reminded us of the power of discovery and new creation.
Martha Graham Dance Company returned to Celebrity Series for the first time in nearly two decades. The GRAHAM100 tour, celebrating the company’s 2026 centennial, reflected on Americana and the company’s past and present, pairing the founder’s Dark Meadow Suite and iconic Lamentations with Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo and Jamar Roberts’ 2024 commission We The People, with music by Rhiannon Giddens.
The Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers invited audiences from all backgrounds and ability levels to share traditional Eastern Woodland artistry in two participatory performances at East Cambridge’s Multicultural Arts (MAC) Center.
And, in a music and dance collaboration that reflected on memory, earth, and the cycle of life and death, Action at a Distance (musician/composer Caroline Shaw and dancer/choreographer Vanessa Goodman) performed Graveyards and Gardens in Harvard Square’s intimate and flexible Arrow Street Arts.
Both Martha Graham Dance Company and Action at a Distance presented workshops for Jamaica Plain's Hyde Square Task Force and Jo-Mé Dance Arts, and for Harvard University's Dance Division.
23 Martha Graham Dance Company
Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre
Action at a Distance Arrow Street Arts
Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers MAC
Iconic Storytellers
Author and TV personality Ina Garten made her Celebrity Series debut with one of just a handful of stops on her book tour. Garten, in conversation with chef and owner of The Lost Kitchen Erin French, shared stories from her 2024 memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, and Dress Circle members enjoyed a pre-event dinner at Symphony Hall.
At the dinner, President and Executive Director Gary Dunning made remarks that put Garten’s appearance in context. Although they’re working in different genres, and media, many of our artists are storytellers.
Longtime audience favorite David Sedaris, in reading his journals and essays, has more in common with pianist Paul Lewis—who explored the throughlines in Schubert’s deeply personal Last Sonatas—than you might think.
“Above
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Revelations depicts a journey through trials and adversity to a comfortable and joyous community celebration. There are stories everywhere, and we invite you to consider them!
all, [artists] are storytellers. It can be literal: Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going? It can be metaphorical: What do we seek? What do we share? How do we feel?
I think we are all lucky to hear their stories. All of these stories are possible because of your respect and admiration for those artists and what they are trying to achieve. All of these stories are possible because of you and your willingness to support and provide these artists a stage to share their stories.”
– Gary Dunning, President & Executive Director
“
David Sedaris
Ina Garten
Gary Dunning President & Executive Director
2024/25 Financials
The 2024/25 Season was marked by both artistic achievement and financial strength. The organization realized an operating surplus of $289,882, allowing us to fully absorb $220,000 in nonoperating expenses (not reflected here) while ending the year in a solid financial position. Net assets increased from $19.5 million in FY2024 to $19.8 million in FY2025, a reflection of our growing resilience and longterm stability. The SHINE! gala was our most successful ever, playing a meaningful role in the season’s financial success.
2024/25 By the Numbers
Season expenses by category
Operating revenue and support
Donor-funded/free vs. Ticketed/paid events
Financial Details
Operating Revenue and Support
Operating Revenue
Performance Revenue (Gross) (Commissions and Fees)
Stabilization and Processing Fees
Total Operating Revenue
Operating Support
General Contributions and Special Funding
Special Events (net)
Endowment and Other Income
Total Operating Support
Total Operating Revenue & Support
Operating Expenses
Performance and Community Engagement
Management and General Fundraising
Total Operating Expenses
Net
$4,738,109
$(433,901)
$285,965
$4,590,173
$3,355,486
$488,831
$1,727,368
$5,571,685
$10,161,858
$7,858,684
$860,785
$1,152,507
$9,871,976
$289,882
$4,105,484 $(346,891) $228,720 $3,987,313 $3,213,393 $286,147 $1,696,787 $5,196,327 $9,183,640 $7,571,631 $794,996 $1,118,107 $9,484,734 $(301,094)
Gratitude
Celebrity Series of Boston thanks our communities of individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies who made possible the innumerable performances and moments of connection in the 2024/25 season. Your support each season allows Celebrity Series to create, improve, and grow initiatives that ensure everyone will experience belonging at our live performances.
The lists that follow reflect gifts as of June 30, 2025. If your name is missing, or if you believe you were listed in error, please contact the Advancement department at: advancement@celebrityseries.org or 617.598.3232.
2024/25 Corporate, Foundation, and Government Support
Principal Institutional Producers ($50,000+)
Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative
Crescendo Donor Advised Fund
Deloitte LLP
Liberty Mutual Foundation
Richard K. Lubin Family Foundation
Susanne Marcus Collins Foundation
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Institutional Producers
($25,000–$49,999)
Anonymous
Klarman Family Foundation
Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture
National Endowment for the Arts
Schrafft Charitable Trust
Urban Agenda Grant Program from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED)
Angels ($10,000–$24,999)
Arts Consulting Group
AVFX
The Catered Affair
Outside the Box: A Production of the Boston Arts
Summer Institute
Port Lighting Systems
Rafanelli Events Management
Royal Little Family Foundation
Stifler Family Foundation
Sponsors ($5,000–$9,999)
Bessie Pappas Charitable Foundation
Hamilton Company Charitable Foundation
M&T Bank
PEAK Event Services
The Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation
Partners ($2,500–$4,999)
The Colonnade Hotel
Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany
Egloff & Wood, LLP
Table & Tulip
BMayor’s Office of Arts and Culture
Performance Recognition
Celebrity Series of Boston thanks 2024/25 Season Sponsors Crescendo Donor
Advised Fund and Susan & Michael Thonis and the following donors who received performance-specific recognition in the 2024/25 season.
2024/25 Season Sponsors
Crescendo Donor Advised Fund and Susan & Michael Thonis
2024/25 Performance Series Supporters
2024/25 Dance Series Supporters
Leslie & Howard Appleby
Crescendo Donor Advised Fund
Royal Little Family Foundation
2024/25 Stave Sessions Supporters
Susan & Michael Thonis
2024/25 Jazz Festival Supporters
Additional support provided by the Amy Lam Fund for Creative Performance
Aaron Richmond Recitals
Endowed by Nancy Richmond Winsten and the late Dr. Joseph Winsten
Neighborhood Arts
Supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts
2024/25 Individual Performance
Supporters
Emanuel Ax, piano
Fantasies
at Groton Hill Music Center’s Concert Hall
Sally S. Seaver, PhD
Emanuel Ax, piano Fantasies
at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall Rabb Family Foundations
Paul Lewis, piano
Stephen C. Perry & Oliver Radford
Martha Graham Dance Company
LIVE PERFORMANCE! Arts for All Leadership
Support from Stephanie L. Brown Foundation. Support provided by the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative.
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Inon Barnatan, piano
Dorothy Altman Weber, in memory of Stephen R. Weber
What Makes It Great? with Rob Kapilow
George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue Clayton Stephenson, piano with the Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra. Julius P. Williams, artistic director.
Amy & Joshua Boger
NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS
Reggie Harris & Alastair Moock
Race and Song: A Musical Conversation featuring Boston City Singers
Amy & Ethan d'Ablemont Burnes
Malpaso Dance Company
LIVE PERFORMANCE! Arts for All Leadership
Support from Royal Little Family Foundation. Support provided by the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Jill & David Altshuler
Seong-Jin Cho, piano
Michael & Adrianne Canning
Additional support by The Colonnade Boston
Caleb Teicher, tap dance
Conrad Tao, piano COUNTERPOINT
2pm Performance Supporters: Eleanor & Frank Pao
Support provided by the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative. Additional support provided by the Amy Lam Fund for Creative Performance.
Steph Davis, marimba
Maria Finkelmeier, marimba Vessel of Voice with Angela Shankar, clarinet
John Patterson & Michele Demarest
STAVE SESSIONS
Seth Parker Woods, cello
Thus Spoke Their Verse
Yukiko Ueno & Eran Egozy.
Víkingur Ólafsson & Yuja Wang, duo piano
Susan & Michael Thonis
Additional support by Jeremy Silverman & Mary Sutherland
Lang Lang, piano
Rabb Family Foundations
Jason Moran
Duke Ellington: My Heart Sings
Leslie & Howard Appleby
NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS
Castle of our Skins Wind Quintet with a Solo(s) Together world
premiere by Brian Raphael Nabors
Beth Pinals & Bill Jewett
Leonidas Kavakos, violin
Daniil Trifonov, piano
LIVE PERFORMANCE! Arts for All Leadership
Support from Eleanor & Frank Pao
Midori, violin
Özgür Aydin, piano at Groton Hill Music Center’s Meadow Hall
Lisa Kirk Colburn
KODO
Warabe
Additional support by Egloff & Wood, LLP
JAZZ FESTIVAL
Mali Obomsawin Quintet
9pm Performance Supporters: Margaret & Michael Simon
JAZZ FESTIVAL
Brandee Younger Trio
7pm Performance Supporters: Debra & Joseph Corrado
Fleur Barron, mezzo-soprano
Kunal Lahiry, piano
The Power and the Glory
Marilyn Miller
Julia Fischer, violin
Jan Lisiecki, piano
Additional support by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany Boston
Action at a Distance: Graveyards and Gardens
Created and performed by Caroline Shaw & Vanessa Goodman
Support provided by the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative. Additional support provided by the Amy Lam Fund for Creative Performance.
What Makes It Great? with Rob Kapilow
The Songs of Simon & Garfunkel
Amy & Joshua Boger
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
Julia Byers & Steven Holtzman
Zlatomir Fung, cello
Chaeyoung Park, piano at Longy's Pickman Hall
In loving memory of Marylen Sternweiler
Samara Joy
Susan & Michael Thonis
Martha H. Jones Society For Lifetime Giving
The Martha H. Jones Society for Lifetime Giving was established in 2018 in honor of former Executive Director Martha H. Jones. The Society honors the following individuals and institutions whose cumulative gifts to Celebrity Series have met or exceeded $100,000.
Deceased
The listings in this publication reflect activity through June 30, 2025.
Endowment Fund Supporters
Thank you to the generous supporters of the Celebrity Series of Boston Endowment Fund which provides long term financial support of the organization’s mission to enrich and inspire our community through exceptional live performances.
If your name was inadvertently omitted or misspelled, we apologize and ask that you contact advancement@celebrityseries.org so that we may correct your listing for future publications.
Listing as of June 30, 2025
Anonymous (7)
Leslie & Howard Appleby
Keith Backman, in memory of Dr. Ulla Hansen
Dr. Harris A. Berman & Ruth Nemzoff
Roz & Wally Bernheimer
Ann Besser Scott
Amy & Joshua Boger
Nadine & Paul Broude
Stephanie L. Brown
Katie & Paul Buttenwieser
Michael & Adrianne Canning
Joseph & Kathleen Cefalu
Stuart Cohen
Mark H. Cooley, MD
Jolyon Cowan & Vanessa Trien
Timothy W. Diggins & Deborah Coleman Diggins
Anne & Gary Dunning
Donna & Michael Egan
Dr. Mary Jane Ferraro
Kathleen & Chris Gaffney
Drs. Joan & Alfred Goldberg
The Goldenheim Family
Rosalind Gorin & Matthew Budd
Garth & Lindsay Greimann
Stephen C. Harrison & Tomas Kirchhausen
Randolph Hawthorne & Carliss Baldwin
Yvette & Lawrence Hochberg
Ilisa Hurowitz & Nicholas Alexander
Ilene & Richard Jacobs
In memory of Blanche & George Jones
Paul & Elizabeth Kastner
Lisa Kelly-Croswell & Tom Croswell
Kate & Tom Kush
Stephen M. Leonard Alexander Levine Cerise Lim Jacobs, for Charles
Theresa C. McLoud, MD
Marilyn Miller
Charlotte & Gordon Moore
Norman & Eleanor Nicholson
Eleanor & Frank Pao
John Patterson & Michele Demarest
Drs. Stuart & Barbara Pizer
Suzanne Priebatsch
Melinda & James Rabb
Stephen C. Perry & Oliver Radford
Reuben Reynolds & Bill Casey
Sharon & Howard Rich
Malcolm & Mona Roberts
Royal Little Family Foundation
Sally S. Seaver, PhD
Sandra Shapiro & John Kirsch
Samuel & Gretchen Shubrooks
Nancy Stavis
Catherine & Joel Stein
Lawrence T. P. Stifler & Mary McFadden
Mary Elisabeth Swerz & Robert S. Sherman
Susan & Michael Thonis
Drs. Elizabeth & Stephen Tréhu
Eric & Sarah Ward
Dorothy & Stephen Weber
Peter J. Wender
Deceased
Amy & Joshua Boger Innovation Fund Supporters
Thank you to the generous supporters of Celebrity Series of Boston’s Amy & Joshua Boger Innovation Fund which provides funding for innovative programming central to the organization’s vision for the future. Fund gifts support projects such as artist debuts, new initiatives that enhance our community engagement work, and investments in personnel and infrastructure to ensure industry-leading live performance experiences.
If your name was inadvertently omitted or misspelled, we apologize and ask that you contact advancement@celebrityseries.org so that we may correct your listing for future publications.
Listing as of June 30, 2025
Anonymous (5)
Leslie & Howard Appleby
Dr. Gary Bailey
Cornelia Barloiu
Paul Belanger & Teri Groome
Dr. Harris A. Berman & Ruth Nemzoff
Amy & Joshua Boger
Emily Borababy & Adam Einhorn
Nadine & Paul Broude
Karen Brown & Michael Plum
Stephanie L. Brown
Julia Byers & Steven Holtzman
Martin Carmichael & Dr. Lisa Gruenberg
Fernadina Chan & Albert Wong
Dr. Ginger Chappell
Joanne & Larry Cheng
Jolyon Cowan & Vanessa Trien
Dale & Peter Coxe
Amy & Ethan d'Ablemont Burnes
Anne & Gary Dunning
Cathy Edwards & Mike Wishnie
Susan Y. Friedman & Norm Appel
Kathleen & Chris Gaffney
Susan, Charles, & David Gessner
Alfred Goldberg
Garth & Lindsay Greimann
Stephen C. Harrison & Tomas Kirchhausen
Randolph Hawthorne & Carliss Baldwin
Andrea & Frederick Hoff
Martha H. Jones & Christine Armstrong
Paul & Elizabeth Kastner
Peter & Anna Kolchinsky
Nathan & Jacqueline Kono
Kate & Tom Kush
Valeria Lowe-Barehmi
Glenda Mattes & Steve Corbin
Andrew Moreau
Norman & Eleanor Nicholson
Eleanor & Frank Pao
Chrissie & Rich Parker, MD
Ellen & James Perrin
Melinda & James Rabb
Stephen C. Perry & Oliver Radford
Michael & Debra Raizman
Sharon & Howard Rich
Nancy Richmond Winsten
Malcolm & Mona Roberts
Millard Rose & Elizabeth Lacey
Dr. Michael & Brenda Silverman
Margaret & Michael Simon
Allen & Margaret Steere
Catherine & Joel Stein
Marylen Sternweiler Belinda Termeer
Susan & Michael Thonis
Yukiko Ueno & Eran Egozy
Paul & Jennifer Sudduth Walsh
Eric & Sarah Ward
Barnet & Sandra Weinstein
Sharon R. Weinstein, MD
Madeleine Wing Adler & Frederick S. Lane
Deceased
2025 SHINE! GALA
On Friday, May 2, 2025, the 2025 SHINE! Gala honored Board of Directors Chair Joshua Boger, PhD, and the incredible support he and his wife Amy have shown to the organization for two decades. Since stepping into his role in 2009, Joshua’s steady, entrepreneurial leadership has grown Celebrity Series into an organization committed equally to curating unforgettable artistic experiences as it is to breaking down barriers. The event raised more than $1 million in support of the organization and in Joshua’s honor, our highest grossing gala yet.
Tributes came from surprise guest, composer, conductor, and What Makes It Great? host Rob Kapilow, co-chairs Stephanie L. Brown and Susan & Michael Thonis, and in a special performance by mandolinist and singer-songwriter Chris Thile. The celebratory evening included a cocktail hour, dinner and dessert by The Catered Affair, artistic surprises, and after-dinner dancing with DJ Chris Roxx. Over 45 cultural and community organizations were represented, and more than 300 people attended to celebrate Joshua and his incredible contributions to Celebrity Series.
2025 SHINE! Gala Supporters
Thank you to our generous 2025 SHINE! Gala supporters, who celebrate the power of the performing arts to unite, delight, and inspire our communities, the future of live performance, and our contributions to the Greater Boston cultural experience.
Co-Chairs
Stephanie L. Brown
Susan & Michael Thonis
Honorary Chairs
Senator Elizabeth Warren
Senator Edward Markey
Whip Katherine Clark
Representative Seth Moulton
Representative Ayanna Pressley
Governor Maura Healey
Former Governor Deval Patrick &
Diane Patrick
Mayor Michelle Wu
SHINE! Gala Presenting Sponsors
Amy & Joshua Boger
Stephanie L. Brown
SHINE! Gala Producing Sponsors
Jill & David Altshuler, in honor of Joshua Boger
Amy & Ethan d’Ablemont Burnes
Susan & Michael Thonis
SHINE! Gala Supporters
Leslie & Howard Appleby
Andrea & Fred Hoff
GLOW! Gala Supporters
Bain Capital Life Sciences
BioStrategics Consulting and Dr. & Mrs. Michael Silverman
C. Butts and Beth Pinals & Bill Jewett
Joanne & Larry Cheng
Downtown Wealth Studios
Eleanor & Frank Pao
Stephen C. Perry & Oliver Radford
Rabb Family Foundations
Reuben Reynolds
Margaret & Michael Simon
Dr. Lawrence Stifler & Mary McFadden
SHIMMER!
Rosalind
SHINE!
Partygoers
Annual Fund Supporters
Walter Pierce Annual Performance Fund & Harris A. Berman and Ruth Nemzoff Fund for After-School Arts
Gifts listed here reflect commitments to the Celebrity Series of Boston’s 2024/25 season as of June 30, 2025.
Founders Circle ($100,000+)
Virtuoso Circle ($50K–$99,999)
Anonymous
Sponsors Circle ($25K–$49,999) Anonymous
Angels
Debra
Artists Circle ($5K–$9,999)
Anonymous
Picott
Dawn Goralewicz & Daniel Hartman Jacqueline & Peter Gordon*
Harriet & David Griesinger
Stephen Harrison & Tomas Kirchhausen*
Paul & Kay Hartung
Ilisa Hurowitz & Nicholas Alexander
David R. Janero & Jeffrey A. Thomson*
& Gerry Katz Rachel V. Kemp
Eric Klotch
Kate & Tom Kush*
Drs. Maydee G. & Nelson P. Lande*
Fred & Tamara Ledley
Alexander M. Levine* Dr. Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch & Lars Liebisch
Glenda Mattes
& Rich Parker, MD*
Ellen & James Perrin*
Charlie Popper, MD*
Suzanne Priebatsch
Michael & Brenda Silverman
& John Solon Catherine L. & Joel A. Stein*
Vekens*
Sharon R. Weinstein, MD Ms. Mary Allen Wilkes*
& Katherine Wolfthal Bruce Zetter & Sally Ourieff Xiaohua Zhang
Dress Circle ($1,250–$2,499)
Anonymous (5)
Jillian Alpert & Jeff Goldman
Lloyd Axelrod, MD*
Martha Bailey & Lewis Sudarsky
Gary Bailey, DHL, MSW, ACSW
Borababy & Adam Einhorn Alan Brock
Buckley & Robin Lovett Paul & Grace Burega
Aaron Richmond Legacy Society
The Aaron Richmond Legacy Society was established in 2001 and honors the memory of Celebrity Series of Boston founder Aaron Richmond (1895–1964). The Society recognizes the following individuals who have notified Celebrity Series of estate provisions including bequest intentions, charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, and other forms of deferred support.
Anonymous (2)
Albert-Lyons Family
Dr. Harris A. Berman & Ruth Nemzoff
Robert Binney & Janet Veasey
Diana Bourgeois
Mark H. Cooley, MD
Peter Coxe
Friend of Celebrity Series of Boston
Martin Gantshar
Gabor Garai & Susan Pravda
Alfred Goldberg
Randolph Hawthorne & Carliss Baldwin
Ellen S. Heller
David R. Janero & Jeffrey A. Thomson
Martha H. Jones & Christine Armstrong
Paul & Elizabeth Kastner
Mary Ellen Kiddle
Joan Lebach
Margot LeStrange & Andrew Stern
In Memoriam
Susan Matz
Charlotte & Gordon Moore
Stewart Myers, in memory of Maureen McGuire Myers
John David Ober
Drs. Stuart & Barbara Pizer
Mr. Jonathan Scott Reichner
Libby Roberts
Sandra Shapiro & John Kirsch
Marylen Sternweiler
Peter J. Wender
Constance White
Nancy Richmond Winsten
Marvin & Katherine Wolfthal
Miriam M. Wood & Charles O. Wood, III
Ron & Janet Zwanziger
Deceased
The listings in this publication reflect activity through June 30, 2025.
The Celebrity Series community dearly misses, recognizes, and holds tremendous thanks for the following family members and supporters whom we lost during the 2024/25 season. We're grateful to have known them and for their energy, commitment, enthusiasm, love, and support of the performing arts in Greater Boston.
GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN
Ed Boesel
Burton Fine
David Gessner
Ulla Hansen
Alexander M. Levine
Jay E. Stempel
Marylen Sternweiler
Audience Development Initiative Supporters
In its second year, the Audience Development Initiative made possible our commitment to attract new audience members among populations that have been traditionally underrepresented at our performances: younger audience members, individuals residing outside of Greater Boston and Cambridge, and BIPOC communities.
Thank you to our 2024/25 Season Audience Development Initiative supporters.
Listing as of June 30, 2025.
Anonymous (2)
James E. Aisner
Paul Belanger & Teri Groome
Amy & Joshua Boger
Diana Bourgeois
Fernadina Chan & Albert Wong
Dr. Joan Helpern Goldberg
Kate & Tom Kush, in honor of Joshua Boger
Susanne Marcus Collins Foundation
Marilyn Miller
Stephen C. Perry & Oliver Radford
Beth Pinals & Bill Jewett
Samuel & Gretchen Shubrooks
Dr. Michael & Brenda Silverman
Yukiko Ueno & Eran Egozy
Lorraine Vekens
Ailey Revelations Celebration Supporters
On March 22 and 23, 2025, Ailey-affiliated teaching artists taught four free workshops for all ages and abilities in community spaces around Boston (Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roxbury, and Dorchester). They led participants through excerpts from Alvin Ailey’s iconic choreography in conjunction with additional creative enrichment activities developed in collaboration with more than ten different community organizations deeply embedded in workshop neighborhoods. Celebrity Series thanks the supporters below for making Ailey Revelations Celebration in Boston possible.
Thank you to our 2024/25 Season Ailey Revelations Celebration Supporters.
Listing as of June 30, 2025.
Institutional Producer
Boger Family Foundation
BMayor’s Office of Arts and Culture
Sponsor
Cherié Butts, PhD
Dr. Joan Helpern Goldberg
Supporter
The Aliad Fund
Kenneth Douglass
Malcolm & Mona Roberts
Emeriti Elections
In September 2024, Celebrity Series officially honored outgoing Directors Mary Elisabeth “Liz” Swerz and Belinda Termeer with the title Director Emerita. Both individuals served on the Board of Directors for more than a decade and contributed substantially in time, talent, and resources to the organization during a period of growth and change.
Liz served as Celebrity Series’ longstanding Finance Committee Chair, helming the committee during a period of financial growth and fiscal stability. Her perennial Finance Committee reports at the Annual Meeting were always met with intense anticipation for her unique ability to present the organization’s financial statements with transparency, accessibility, and good humor.
Belinda served on the Board of Directors for Celebrity Series for 10 years, serving as one of the organization’s lead $1M Endowment Fund donors to the LIVE PERFORMANCE: Arts for All capital campaign alongside her late husband Henri. A deep believer in Celebrity Series’ commitment to bringing arts to everyone, Belinda channeled her volunteer efforts into the Nominating Committee, helping to recruit diverse members of the Board of Directors.
We are grateful to each of these extraordinary volunteers for their generosity of spirit and service, and congratulate them on their appointment to the Directors Emeriti.
Malpaso Dance Company
Emerson Paramount Center's Robert J. Orchard Stage
Liz Swerz & Robert Sherman
Belinda Termeer & Yo-Yo Ma
2024/25 Boards of Directors and Advisors
Board of Directors
Joshua Boger, PhD, Chair+
Jill S. Altshuler+
Howard Appleby
Stephanie L. Brown+
Cherié Butts, PhD+
Michael S. Canning+
Joanne Cheng
Amy d’Ablemont Burnes+
Margaret Eagle
Rosalind E. Gorin
Randolph Hawthorne
Dr. Joan Helpern Goldberg*
Yvette Hochberg
Andrea Hoff+
Rachel V. Kemp
York Lo
Israel Meir*
Dr. Gordon Moore*
John D. Patterson, Jr.
Stephen C. Perry*
Dr. Beth Pinals+
Leontyne Price, Honorary Director
Melinda Rabb
Michael Raizman*+
Reuben Reynolds
Jeremy Silverman
Margaret Simon, ex officio Lawrence Stifler*
Susan Thonis+
Yukiko Ueno+
Dorothy Altman Weber*
Board Emeriti
Caroline Collings
Benjamin H. Lacy
Jann E. Leeming*
Norman C. Nicholson, Jr.*
Eleanor Y. Pao
Nancy Richmond Winsten*
Mary Elisabeth Swerz
Belinda Termeer
Arnold B. Zetcher
Board of Advisors
Margaret Simon, Chair
Dr. Michael Silverman, Vice Chair
Gary Bailey, DHL, MSW, ACSW
Chris Barton
Meryl Beckingham
Marilyn Benson*
Diana L. Bourgeois
Joseph C. Cefalu
Fernadina Chan
Geoff Chasin
Sharon A. Chirban, PhD
Leland Owen Clarke, EdD
Debra M. Corrado
Jolyon Cowan
Tim Deryaga
JoAnne Dickinson*
Kenneth Douglass*
Amy C. Egloff
C. Nancy Fisher
Deborah Friedman*
Celebrity Series Staff
Gary Dunning, President and Executive Director
Nicole Taney, Artistic Director
Advancement
Emily Borababy, Chief Advancement Officer
Sara Brookner, Senior Associate Director of Institutional Giving and Impact
Sarah Spinella, Associate Director of Leadership Giving
Sean Meyers, Associate Director of Annual Giving and Operations
Anya Hess, Senior Manager of Events and Donor Relations
Miranda McLean, Manager of Advancement Operations
Mia Straccia, Assistant Manager of Annual Giving and Membership
Zoé Ducroux, Advancement Coordinator
Finance and Administration
Heather Clark, Chief Financial Officer
Colleen Murray, Associate Director of Finance and Administration
Ignacio Martin Sancho, Coordinator, Finance and Administration
Marketing and Audience Services
Courtney A. Burke, Chief Marketing Officer
Ellen Rogoz, Associate Director of Marketing
Vawnya Nichols, Associate Director of Ticketing and Audience Services
Gillian Morrison, Associate Director of Communications and Digital
Robert Torres, Senior Graphic Designer and Photographer
Kristín Otharsson, Senior Manager of Multimedia and Design
Patrick Smith, Marketing Analytics and CRM Manager
Angela Flores, Manager of Digital Communications
Nicole Putnam, Manager of Audience Services
Lilli Samman, Group Sales and Marketing Event Manager
Saralyn Klepaczyk, Assistant Manager of Audience Services
Susan Y. Friedman
Alexandra Fuchs Elkan Gamzu
Glenda Garrelts Mattes
Ellen Glanz
Dr. Peter H. Gordon* Harriet Griesinger
Joffe
Kush*
LeStrange*
LeStrange Stern Valeria Lowe-Barehmi Joelle Lurie
Theresa C. McLoud, MD
Dr. Charles Chip Mc Neal
Dr. Michael Merport
Marilyn Miller*
John P. Mordes, MD*
Elsa Mosquera Sterenberg
Ruth Nemzoff*
James L. J. Nuzzo
Stella J. Owen
Rich Parker, MD*
James Perrin
Charlie Popper, MD*
Suzanne Priebatsch
Kristin Qian, PhD
Oliver Radford*
Sharon L. Rich*
Mona J. Roberts*
Abby Rosenfeld*
Barbara Russell
Sally S. Seaver, PhD*
Sandra Shapiro*
Susan Shapiro Magdanz*
Dr. Samuel J. Shubrooks, Jr.*
Lori Solon
Joel A. Stein*
Marylen R. Sternweiler*
Amir Tadmor
Jeffrey A. Thomson*
Sarah Rainwater Ward
Wendy L. Watson Barnet Weinstein
Sharon R. Weinstein, MD
Peter J. Wender*
Elizabeth Zachos
Listing as of June 30, 2025
+ Denotes Executive Committee
* Denotes 25+ year subscriber Denotes deceased
Susanna Bonta, Program Book Associate
Lisa Feingold, Senior Audience Services Representative
Constance Cifelli, Audience Services Representative
Annie Coyne, Audience Services Representative
Emily Walker, Audience Services Representative
Performance Operations and Community Engagement
Karen Brown, Chief Operating Officer
Liz Rosenthal, Associate Director of Performance Operations
Robin Baker, Associate Director of Community Engagement
Elizabeth Kracunas, Senior Manager of Performance Operations
Walter Yee, Manager of Performance Operations
Aneesh Kumar, Community Concerts Manager
Carmen Hernandez, Community Partnerships Liaison
Evan DelGaudio, Dance Production Manager
Hope Aubrey, Executive & Contracts Administrator
James MacDonald, Interim Concert Producer
Ushers
Zoe Chau, Jubilee Chen, Robert Faulkner, Molly Hitt, Ana Ospina Sapuy, Kahdeem Ralph, Declan Rockett, Nicoleta Savvidou, Anne Sergi, Sarah Stephenson, Jeffrey Wang
Professional Services
Stephanie Janes PR, Media Relations
John Michael Kennedy - JMKPR, Media Relations for Dance Performances
AAFCPAs, Audit Firm
BernsteinShur, Law Firm
JPMorganChase, Banking
Boston Common Asset Management, Wealth Management
