Thursday, November 29, 2007

Fort Worth-based Van Cliburn Foundation names new COO

By Pegasus News wire

The Van Cliburn Foundation has announced the appointment of Jim Fredericks as its new chief operating officer.

Mr. Fredericks will be responsible for coordinating the growth of the Foundation's various programs, as well as its financial base. Additionally, he will help strengthen the Cliburn's relationships with its corporate sponsors and the community at large.

"Jim's leadership skills, creativity, and can-do attitude make him the perfect choice for this new position," says Alann Sampson, the Cliburn's chairman of the board. "Besides being a business executive, he is a pianist, educator, and writer. I anticipate a bright future for the Foundation with Jim."

"The performing arts represent an industry demanding business acumen not unlike that required in the corporate community," remarks Richard Rodzinski, president of the Van Cliburn Foundation. "We eagerly welcome Jim into our fold, in that he has played key roles with outstanding success in the commercial world. And in addition, he tempers his outstanding expertise with rare artistic sensitivity."

"The Van Cliburn Foundation is globally emblematic of excellence in musical artistry," says Mr. Fredericks. "I am privileged and deeply honored to serve the Foundation as an ambassador for the universal language of music."

About Jim Fredericks

Prior to joining the Van Cliburn Foundation, Mr. Fredericks served in a leadership capacity for three different Fortune 500 companies, where his responsibilities included human capital management, strategic planning, IT, communications, and organizational change initiatives. He has also served as a consultant to various boards of directors and senior management.

Mr. Fredericks' educational background includes a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University and a Masters in Business Administration from Boston University. He serves on TCU's Neeley School of Business Board of Visitors, and is also an adjunct professor there.

About the Van Cliburn Foundation

Under the auspices of the Van Cliburn Foundation, every four years Fort Worth becomes the piano capital of the world with the production of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Inaugurated in 1962 by a group of music teachers and enthusiasts to honor a fellow Texan and America's most renowned pianist, the Cliburn Competition has steadily grown into one of the world's major musical events.

In 1999, the Foundation launched the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, a quadrennial event that attracts some of the most accomplished amateur pianists from around the globe.

The Foundation also produces Cliburn Concerts, a piano recital and chamber music series that features today's finest instrumentalists and vocalists. Cliburn Concerts performances are held in Fort Worth's Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall, the Kimbell Art Museum, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

The Cliburn remains at the forefront of music education, and serves 10,000 children annually with the Musical Awakenings program.

For more information on the Van Cliburn Foundation please visit www.cliburn.org.

Source: Van Cliburn Foundation

See more stories in:

• Arts > Fine Arts > Classical Music