New era for the arts
Harvard’s 375th anniversary celebration on Oct. 14 will commemorate centuries of history and innovation and honor the University’s continued dedication to excellence in education and scholarship. It will also be one heck of a party in Harvard Yard, organized with the help of three people who are ushering in a new era of creativity for the institution. Since 2009, three of the University’s major arts positions have changed hands. Jill Johnson, director of Harvard’s Office for the Arts (OFA) Dance Program, Andrew Clark, Harvard’s director of choral activities, and Federico Cortese, director of the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra (HRO), replace, respectively, the trio of Elizabeth Bergmann, Jameson Marvin, and James Yannatos, whose Harvard tenures totaled almost 90 years. The three artists also hold joint teaching positions in Harvard’s Department of Music. “This is an extraordinary time in the history of the arts at Harvard,” said Lori Gross, Harvard’s associate provost for arts and culture. “It is...