Peter Herrndorf's appointment extended as President and CEO of the National Arts Centre

Peter Herrndorf’s appointment extended as President and CEO of the National Arts Centre

Ottawa –Julia Foster, Chair of the NAC Board of Trustees, announced today that the Board has extended Peter Herrndorf's contract as President and CEO until August 31, 2011.

“Over the past nine years, Peter Herrndorf has transformed the NAC into a thriving and important centre for performance, creation and learning that champions the arts and arts education across Canada,” Mrs. Foster said. “The Board of Trustees is thrilled that he will continue leading the NAC to even greater success.”

Since his appointment in September of 1999, Mr. Herrndorf has worked to strengthen the NAC's national role as well as its youth and education activities across Canada. Under his leadership the NAC has resumed annual performance and education tours by the NAC Orchestra; presented biannual "Scene" Festivals in the National Capital Region featuring artists from specific regions of the country, including Atlantic Scene (2003), Alberta Scene (2005), Quebec Scene (2007), with BC Scene to run in the spring of 2009 and Prairie Scene slated for 2011; created the NAC’s Summer Music Institute that has, since 1999, trained 581 of the world’s best young musicians from 33 countries, as well as the Institute for Orchestral Studies, a unique apprenticeship program that allows young musicians to gain practical experience with the NAC Orchestra; fostered artistic exchange through dozens of co-productions with theatres and dance companies across Canada; and attracted a dynamic artistic leadership team that includes Pinchas Zukerman, Wajdi Mouawad, Cathy Levy, Peter Hinton, Heather Moore and Michel Dozois.

During Mr. Herrndorf’s tenure the NAC has also enjoyed surpluses in nine of the last ten years, strong subscription sales and the creation of a NAC Foundation with a board comprised of prominent Canadians from across the country. In 2007-08 the Foundation raised more than $8 million to support the NAC's artistic and educational work across Canada.

Mr. Herrndorf became President and CEO of the NAC after a remarkable career that included working as Vice-President of English-language television for the CBC, Publisher of Toronto Life magazine and Chairman and CEO of TVOntario. He is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, a law graduate from Dalhousie University and a graduate of the Harvard Business School. The recipient of many honours, he is an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is married to Eva Czigler, a program executive at the CBC. They have two children, Katherine and Matthew.