Women At The Helm 2011

In the Arts, Activism, Government and Human Rights, These Out Nonprofit Leaders Create Positive Change Every Day.

Laura Kaminsky: Artistic Director, Symphony Space The New York Times praised Laura Kaminsky as a composer with “an ear for the new and interesting” whose works are “colorful and harmonically sharp-edged.” As an award-winning artist, presenter, arts community fellow, music educator, member of the board for numerous organizations and ambassador for the artistic culture of New York City, Kaminsky has few peers. She began her career at the 92nd Street Y, where she was responsible for the lecture and film series. “It was a tremendous learning experience for me,“ Kaminsky says. “What I learned about program conception and development, about working with artists and intellectuals, about developing audiences and creating lasting and positive relationships…has guided me throughout my career.” Now the Artistic Director of Symphony Space, the beloved multi-disciplinary performing arts center on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Kaminsky plans innovative musical programming in all genres, including opera, jazz, classical and worldbeat; as well as literature, theater, dance and film. “Feeling the energy in the hall when the artist and the audience are in that powerful place of giving, receiving and appreciating, and knowing that art truly is transformative and humanizing, and that my work helped make it happen is its own reward,” Kaminsky says. “In the end, it all comes down to making connections—people to people.”


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