Harris Theater for Music and Dance Appoints Merrillyn J. Kosier as Board Chair

The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance has appointed Merrillyn J. Kosier, retired Executive Vice President of Ariel Investments, as Chair of its Board of Trustees.

Since joining the Harris Theater Board in 2006, Kosier has contributed her nearly four decades of experience in strategic leadership and board service to the organization, serving as Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair and most recently as Executive Vice Chair.

Kosier follows outgoing Chair David Snyder, Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Club of Chicago, who stewarded the organization through the unprecedented challenges of the past several years. During Snyder's term, the Harris Theater provided critical support to its Resident Companies, maintained a strong financial position, and celebrated a successful reopening in fall of 2021.

"I am honored and excited to serve as Chair of the Harris Theater Board of Trustees, following in the footsteps of our founders Joan Harris, Sandy Guthman, and Sarah Solotaroff Mirkin, and the remarkable contributions of past Chairs," said Kosier, "The future of the Harris is filled with opportunity as we continue to embrace our vision to be a home for music and dance where everyone feels welcome and can see themselves reflected on our stage. I look forward to working with my fellow Trustees, President and CEO Lori Dimun, and the talented Harris team - especially as we approach our 20th anniversary season."

Kosier is an experienced board member and financial executive with nearly four decades of strategic leadership at some of the most distinguished firms in the asset management industry, most recently as Executive Vice President of Ariel Investments. Kosier's extensive board service includes ALPS Series Trust (2021-present), Ariel Investment Trust (2003-2019), Loyola University Chicago Council of Regents (2002-2015), and Lupus Foundation of America (2007-2014). Current affiliations include Investment Company Institute, The Economic Club of Chicago, and The Arts Club of Chicago where she serves as Board Director.

Kosier joins a new slate of officers on the Harris Theater's Board of Trustees: Peter M. Ellis, Partner at Reed Smith LLP (Executive Vice Chair); civic leader Claire O'Grady (Vice Chair); Sunitha Thomas, Regional Senior Investment Officer at Northern Trust (Secretary); and Sara Albrecht, President of Swan Capital (Treasurer). The 30-member board also includes ex-officio representation from the Theater's Resident Companies, with Chicago Philharmonic Society Executive Director Terell Johnson entering the role this year.

The Harris Theater is Chicago's home for music and dance, connecting diverse audiences with artists from across the city, the nation, and the world. Opened in 2003 in Millennium Park, the Theater was the first multi-use performance venue built in downtown Chicago since 1929, and fulfilled the city's need for a shared home for mid-size performing arts organizations. Today, the Harris features some of the most diverse arts and culture offerings of any venue in the city, and is a distinctive model for artistic quality, collaboration, and making the performing arts relevant and accessible to the widest possible audience.

Founded on the principle of serving Chicago's vibrant creative community, the Theater is the home venue of more than 25 not-for-profit arts and culture organizations. The Harris Theater Presents series has featured world-renowned artists and ensembles including American Ballet Theatre, Laurie Anderson, Batsheva Dance, English National Ballet, Joshua Bell, Renée Fleming, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir, Angélique Kidjo, and Paris Opéra Ballet. The Theater's community engagement initiatives build bridges between artists and community members, providing master classes, artist talks, and free tickets for more than 35 partner organizations throughout Chicago.

To learn more about the Harris Theater, Chicago's state-of-the-art 1,500-seat performance venue in Millennium Park, visit harristheaterchicago.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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