(For Immediate Release—April 20, 2021) Gary Dunning, President and Executive Director of the Celebrity Series of Boston, announces the appointment of marketing executive Courtney Burke as the next Director of Marketing and Communications.
As the Director of Marketing and Communications at the Celebrity Series, Courtney will oversee all aspects of the marketing and box office departments—including strategic direction, organizational branding and digital media strategy, audience-building efforts, and overall management of the marketing and communications operations.
Gary Dunning says, “We are thrilled to welcome Courtney to the Celebrity Series as our next Director of Marketing and Communications. Courtney has built an impressive career in the non-profit performing arts industry and brings a combination of creativity and strategy to her work. With her expertise in building audiences coupled with her background as a Boston-born resident, we can’t wait to see how she transforms our marketing efforts as we prepare to welcome audiences back to concert halls.”
“I am thrilled to be joining the Celebrity Series team as the Director of Marketing and Communications at such a critical time for the industry,” says Courtney Burke. “As we reopen and rebuild, I look forward to working with the Celebrity Series on welcoming back patrons, growing audiences, and evolving the Celebrity Series of Boston brand.”
Courtney Burke comes to the Celebrity Series from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., where she currently holds the position of Director of Marketing. As the nation’s performing arts center, the Kennedy Center presents over fifteen genres of programming and connects thousands of artists with millions of people each year.
At the Kennedy Center, Courtney oversaw the marketing strategy, analytics, and social media teams in executing over 300 campaigns per year. In her tenure, she led the marketing plans for key organizational priorities such as the opening of the Kennedy Center’s first major expansion project, the REACH, and the launch of a new website.
Courtney held a series of progressive roles at the Kennedy Center, most recently serving as the Director of Marketing Analytics and Audience Insights and previously as the Marketing Manager for the Washington National Opera. Before joining the Kennedy Center, Courtney worked as the Communications Specialist for Dance/USA and the Marketing Assistant for The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland.
Courtney currently serves on the Tessitura Member Advisory Committee and is a frequent contributor to the annual Tessitura Learning and Community Conference. She recently completed her Master of Business Administration at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. She also holds undergraduate degrees in Modern Dance and Marketing from the University of Maryland. Born in Boston, MA, Courtney grew up in Ithaca, N.Y. and is a graduate of Ithaca High School.
About Celebrity Series of Boston
Celebrity Series of Boston was founded in 1938 by pianist and impresario Aaron Richmond. The Celebrity Series has been bringing the very best performers–from orchestras and chamber ensembles, vocal and piano music, to dance companies, jazz, and more–to Boston’s major concert halls for 83 years. The Celebrity Series of Boston believes in the power of excellence and innovation in the performing arts to enrich life experiences, transform lives and build better communities. Through its education initiatives, the Celebrity Series seeks to build a community of Greater Boston where the performing arts are a valued, lifelong, shared experience—on stages, on streets, in neighborhoods–everywhere.
Celebrity Series of Boston is grateful to our 2020-21 Season Sponsors Amy & Joshua Boger and to the many individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies whose support helps fulfill our mission to present performing artists who inspire and enrich our community. Individual and Institutional supporters include the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative, Leslie & Howard Appleby, Stephanie L. Brown Foundation, The Catered Affair, Susanne Marcus Collins Foundation, D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp., First Republic Bank, Foley & Lardner LLP, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Outside the Box: A Production of the Boston Arts Summer Institute, Cynthia & John S. Reed Foundation, Royal Little Family Foundation, Stifler Family Foundation, Anonymous, and many others.
Press Contact: Stephanie Janes PR, (617) 419-0445, stephanie at stephaniejanespr dot com
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