[ad_1]
Charismatic former New York Ballet star Damian Woetzel named President of the prestigious Juilliard School in 2017, powerful head of the school, Bruce Kovnerpraised the “extraordinary mix” of intellectual and artistic qualities.
But earlier this year, Kovner told Woetzel that an internal review found a lack of confidence in his leadership, asking him to step down at the end of June, a year before his contract expired, according to a letter that Woetzel sent to the school’s trustees. Obtained by The New York Times.
Woetzel resisted and managed to garner support by getting references from many distinguished artists, such as trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis, who led Juilliard’s jazz program, and pianist Emanuel Ax, one of the leading members of the faculty. And in his letter to the board of trustees, he wrote that the performance review was “extraordinary and highly inconsistent with best practices in nonprofit governance – conceived, initiated and administered by our chairman of the board.”
Things came to a head at last month’s board meeting. When the trustees became aware of the assessment and Kovner’s recommendation to mitigate Woetzel, they refused to do so. Kovner, who has long been the school’s biggest philanthropist, plans to step down this June after 22 years as president, a move that an employee says has been planned for a long time.
Kovner declined to comment, and Juilliard issued a statement from the board of directors to The New York Times that “at its most recent meeting, the board strongly reaffirmed its support for Chairman Damian Woetzel” and 10 years of board of directors. strategic plan that the school created in 2019.
The board is “unwavering in focusing on the interests of the Juilliard School students and is committed to supporting the school’s outstanding faculty, staff and management,” the statement said.
Some saw the conflict as a rare power struggle between two prominent cultural figures, a showdown between the old guard and the new blood.
Given Kovner’s enormous influence as Juilliard’s biggest boss and a prominent figure at Lincoln Center, the home where Juilliard served on the board and gave large sums, some were surprised to find Woetzel prevailed. One trustee likened it to a David and Goliath story.
Woetzel, 54 – who earned a master’s degree While still dancing in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Public Administration at Harvard — she gained national fame by directing the Aspen Institute Arts Program and the Vail International Dance Festival and serving at President Barack Obama’s Dance Festival. Arts and Humanities Committee.
The 75-year-old Kovner estimates Forbes net worth as follows: $6.2 billionIt was like a permanent government at Juilliard that had served as president for an unusually long time. Between his wife Suzie and Kovner’s gifts $25 million Towards a new wing and scholarships in 2005; a treasure valuable music manuscripts in 2006; 20 million dollars For the 2012 early music program; and 60 million dollars for a new scholarship program in 2013.
At Lincoln Center, Kovner was one of the largest donors to the redevelopment of the performing arts complex, serves on the Metropolitan Opera’s board of directors and was previously on the board of trustees of the New York Philharmonic.
Given that Kovner’s continued support for Juilliard was crucial, the standoff posed a challenge for the board and the school.
Woetzel’s assessment was sent to 49 faculty and staff members, including each department chair and 18 direct reporters, and 43 responded anonymously. Juilliard has approximately 700 full-time and part-time members of faculty and staff.
In Woetzel’s letter to the board, it was stated that the review was conceived and conducted by Kovner and vice president J. Christopher Kojima. In its letter, it said it was “not conducted at an equal footing by an independent party as it is best practice for nonprofits of our scale.”
Responses included 143 comments, more than three-quarters of which were negative, according to someone who knew the summary of the report and was given anonymity to explain this sensitive personnel issue.
According to the summary released to The Times, the feedback led to several major criticisms: Woetzel’s focus on performance rather than education; had poor administrative leadership; did not consult faculty on key decisions; and created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.
According to the person familiar with the summary, a question about confidence in Juilliard’s future met with a negative response from more than half of respondents.
On January 27, according to his letter to the board of directors, Woetzel was asked to leave.
“Bruce Kovner communicated – on behalf of the Executive Committee – that my term as chairman will be terminated before my contract expires and that the decision is ‘irreversible’,” Woetzel wrote in a letter to the board of trustees.
“After communicating this intent to termination to me,” the letter said, “Bruce then emailed me a proposal for a severance package containing a co-crafted statement that would create a false narrative that I would resign by June 30.”
The letter gave Woetzel 96 hours to respond. He decided not to resign.
On February 4, Kovner sent the results of the assessment to the full board, saying the findings were alarming and will be discussed at the regularly scheduled board meeting four days later.
Woetzel received support from a number of prominent artists and colleagues who sent letters to the board before the meeting.
“Damian has an excellent track record in school leadership, especially during the two pandemic years and these deeply troubling social, political and financial times that have changed America’s social landscape,” Marsalis said in his letter, obtained by The Times. “He has worked with students, faculty and the board in an attempt to create an agile and modern institution that can address the real concerns of students and alumni around the world.”
“I feel like the way we’re going about this is questioning our ethics,” Marsalis continued. “This attempt to eradicate it seems ill-conceived, ill-executed, and will leave a stain on our institution that even our love of resources and fragile spirit cannot easily remove.”
Trombone player Weston Sprott, dean of Juilliard’s Prep Division, warned in an email to influential faculty member Ax that “the decision to dissolve Damian would be incredibly damaging to the institution.”
“In the midst of managing the bumps and bruises that can be expected in navigating the national showdown on racial injustice,” Sprott continued, “Damian has put together perhaps the most diverse, inclusive and successful leadership team in our industry – a team respected by students and faculty, and envy of their rivals.”
Kovner and the board expect Woetzel to address issues raised in the assessment with outside coaches and under the guidance of trustee Reginald Van Lee, a former coach. management consultant, according to the person who knows the summary. However, a board of trustees said no such course of action had been decided by the full board.
Woetzel started out as an unusual choice for Juilliard, who had never worked in academic administration at one of the world’s leading performing arts schools, which at the time of his appointment had an annual budget of $110 million, a grant of $1 billion, and more. More than 800 students.
At Juilliard, Woetzel made several notable advances and $50 million gift expand the school’s weekend education program for predominantly Black and Latino schoolchildren; filling several key positions; and guiding the school through the tough two years of the pandemic.
But it also suffered bumps along the way. After the drama workshop at school re-enactment of a slave auction requested one scream Woetzel a”sincere apology” in a note to the community.
last june, students protested A planned tuition boost occupied parts of Juilliard’s Lincoln Center campus and staged street demonstrations. (A few other prominent music and drama schools Offers free training.)
Making his fortune as a hedge fund manager, Kovner contributed widely to conservative causes and served on boards The American Enterprise Institute and the Manhattan Institute are both right-leaning think tanks. The City Journal, published by the Manhattan Institute last May, criticized what it described as the school’s “growing cadre of diversity bureaucrats” in an article titled “”.Revolution Coming to Juilliard: Racial hysteria is consuming school; if left unchecked, it will consume art.”
Kovner also supported left-leaning organizations, including the Innocence Project, which aims to free those wrongfully convicted; and Lambda Legaldedicated to civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Now Juilliard is preparing for the next episode. school this week Duke Ellington Ensemble Juilliard Jazz was scheduled to stage the 20th anniversary celebrations. Chelsea Factorya new field of art.
[ad_2]
Source link