The Music Center Names Martin Wechsler as Senior Advisor for Dance Programming

The Music Center's President and CEO Rachel S. Moore today announced the addition of dance curator/producer Martin Wechsler as a senior advisor for TMC Arts Dance presentations, including its Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center series and other related dance initiatives. Wechsler will bring more than 30 years' experience in the dance field, including programming, commissioning and administrative expertise, to The Music Center, one of the nation's largest performing arts centers. Reporting to Moore and working closely with Josephine Ramirez, executive vice president for TMC Arts, Wechsler will support the TMC Arts team in curating its dance seasons, developing relevant engagement projects for each dance presentation and expanding the dance series' student matinee program.

"Martin Wechsler has his finger on the pulse of the dance world and knows what's happening before it even happens-he scouts the world looking for what's next," Moore said. "He has extensive knowledge of the world's renowned dance companies and has long and deep relationships within the dance world. Martin will lend his excellent curatorial judgment and creative curiosity in developing new and different performance experiences that are forward-thinking and adventurous. We're thrilled to welcome his fresh perspective and unique skillset to our TMC Arts team as we bolster our commitment to being a national leader of dance presentations."

A dance curator, producer, administrator and educator, Wechsler began his career with The Joyce Theater as an administrative assistant and grew to become the organization's director of programming, a role he held for more than 20 years before stepping down in 2017. He was also responsible for programming Joyce Theater Foundation presentations at other venues, including the David H. Koch Theater (formerly known as the New York State Theater) at Lincoln Center, where The Joyce presents large scale internationally acclaimed dance companies, and in public parks throughout New York City, where The Joyce has presented free outdoor dance performances.

"I am so excited by all the recent growth and development in the dance field in Los Angeles, especially Rachel Moore's leadership skills and dance expertise at The Music Center. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with her and everyone on her team," Wechsler said. "I look forward to contributing to TMC Arts' engagement approach as we curate the work of local, national and international dance companies and strive to enrich the cultural lives of all Angelenos."

Wechsler's work was recognized by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, which awarded The Joyce with the William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence. He has also served on grant-making and advisory panels for private foundations, government entities and corporations, such as the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Japan Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts. The Australian Arts Council selected him to be one of the inaugural Dance Down Under USA Ambassadors, a program designed to educate American presenters about Australian dance artists. He is a frequent guest speaker on dance programming and arts administration at professional associations and academic institutions, including the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, Dance/USA, California Presenters, Marymount Manhattan College and New York University. Since leaving The Joyce, Wechsler has pursued a number of independent projects, including serving as the Associate Producer of the 2019 and 2020 Fall for Dance Festival at New York City Center, and as an adjunct lecturer in the Arts Administration program at Baruch College.

Martin Wechsler served as the director of programming for The Joyce Theater in New York City from 1996-2017. In this capacity, he selected more than 40 dance companies to perform each season, as well as overseeing The Joyce's commissioning and artist residency programs. He is the associate producer of New York City Center's Fall for Dance Festival. Wechsler has served as an adjunct lecturer in the Arts Administration Master's Program at Baruch College, a panelist for numerous grant making foundations and a guest speaker on dance programming and arts administration for academic institutions and professional associations. He serves as the chair of the New York Dance and Performance ("Bessie") Awards Steering Committee, and as a member of the Dancers Responding to AIDS Fire Island Dance Festival benefit committee, and works on freelance projects in dance curation, production, administration and education. Wechsler received a Bachelor of Arts degree with concentrations in dance and economics from Oberlin College.

The Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. The non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: The Music Center Arts (TMC Arts) and The Music Center Operations (TMC Ops). TMC Arts, The Music Center's programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center's four theatres, on The Music Center Plaza, outside at Grand Park-a 12-acre adjacent green space-and in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, free and low-cost public concerts and events, as well as K-12 arts education programs. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the plaza and Grand Park on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies-Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org. Follow The Music Center on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @MusicCenterLA.

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