New York City’s Merce Cunningham Trust (MCT) has named Ken Tabachnick as its new executive director, the trust announced yesterday. He is due to begin as soon as November 28.
As director, Tabachnick will be responsible for the management of all of MCT’s operations. Crucially, the timing of his appointment makes him key in organizing the upcoming Merce Cunningham Centenary celebrations, slated for 2018–2020.
“I am thrilled to join the Merce Cunningham Trust in honoring the legacy of one of the most important and influential artists of our time,” Tabachnick said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the Trust in furthering its mission and goals, including organizing the Centenary celebration, and working with the trustees into the future.”
Tabachnick’s resume is extensive, consisting of over 30 years of experience in executive roles within the field of performing arts.
He has served as Deputy Dean of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, as Dean of the School of the Arts at Purchase College—where he oversaw the Conservatories of Music, Dance, Theatre, and the School of Art+Design—and as General Manager of New York City Ballet.
He has also sat on the board of directors of various arts organizations, including the Stephen Petronio Company and Dance/USA.
Tabachnick will join the MCT after working most recently as an independent consultant and a senior associate at AEA Consulting, where he liaised with clients including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Film, and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.
The Merce Cunningham Trust was established in 2000 with the aim of preserving, extending, and maintaining the integrity of American dancer Merce Cunningham’s choreographic works, and to make his legacy accessible to the public.