Deborah Rutter

Rutter was born in Pennsylvania{{cite web |url=http://cso.org/Page.aspx?id=14196 |title=Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Deborah F. Rutter |publisher=CSO.org |date= |accessdate=2013-12-15 |archive-date=2011-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025182516/http://cso.org/Page.aspx?id=14196 |url-status=dead }} and raised in Encino, Los Angeles.Who's Who in the West (1998-1999 edition, p. 627 She is the daughter of attorney and choral administrator Marshall Rutter and his first wife Winifred Hitz. She played piano and violin and participated in youth orchestras in Los Angeles. To help out the youth orchestra, her mother Winifred took classes in orchestral management. Rutter graduated from Stanford University in 1978, where she studied music and German. For a year, she studied in Vienna and played there in a community orchestra.{{cite web|url=http://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=34048 |title=Stanford Magazine – Orchestrating Change |publisher=Alumni.stanford.edu |date=July–August 2005|accessdate=2013-12-15}} Applying for her first arts executive job, with a letter in German to its German born head, Ernest Fleischmann, she was hired by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. She worked there from 1978 to 1986. During that time, Rutter obtained a master's degree in business administration from the University of Southern California.{{cite web|last=Boehm |first=Mike |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-kennedy-center-deborah-rutter-20131210,0,4988329.story#axzz2nSxXS2R3 |title=Kennedy Center picks L.A.-trained Deborah Rutter as next president |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2013-12-11 |accessdate=2013-12-15}}

File:Orchestra Hall Chicago.jpg. Rutter was praised for recruiting Muti.]]

In 1986, Rutter was hired to head the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, where she remained until 1992. She then became the executive director of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. In Seattle, she oversaw the construction of Benaroya Hall, the orchestra's new home. She successfully worked to increase the Seattle Symphony Orchestra's visibility and endowment.

Rutter was named to head the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association in 2003. According to arts management professor, Philippe Ravanas, she overhauled the orchestra's finance practices and reversed a financial decline. She was later instrumental in attracting Riccardo Muti as the orchestra's music director, and Yo-Yo Ma as creative consultant. Ma credits Rutter with making the orchestra and its music more accessible through performance and education beyond the major concert. During her tenure, the orchestra was hurt by a severe economic recession but her stewardship helped the organization to successfully weather it. In 2012, she settled a two-day musicians' strike.{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/11/arts/chicago-symphony-chief-to-run-kennedy-center.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1387118364-cXpJjvoXaSPA8biZRJZqVQ | title=Kennedy Center Names New Chief | work=New York Times | date=2013-12-10 | accessdate=15 December 2013 | author=Robin Pogrebin}} Her latter years at the orchestra included record fundraising and ticket sales.{{cite web|author=John von Rhein and Mark Caro |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/12/10/cso-president-rutter-leaving-for-kennedy-center/ |title=CSO president Rutter leaving for Kennedy Center |work=Chicago Tribune |date=2013-12-10 |access-date=2013-12-15}} While in Chicago, she was named to the top 100 list of most powerful Chicagoans by Chicago magazine; she has held the chair of the policy committee of the League of American Orchestras, and has served as a board member for the Solti Foundation. Rutter remained with the orchestra until June 2014.

Rutter became president of the Kennedy Center on September 1, 2014.{{cite news|first1=Anne|last1=Midgette|title=New president Deborah Rutter is Kennedy Center's breath of fresh air from Windy City|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/new-president-deborah-rutter-is-kennedy-centers-breath-of-fresh-air-from-windy-city/2014/08/28/8381a600-2c4c-11e4-9b98-848790384093_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=2014-08-29|issn=0190-8286|accessdate=2014-09-04}}{{Cite web|title=Deborah F. Rutter|url=https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/r/ro-rz/deborah-rutter/|last=|first=|date=|website=The Kennedy Center|access-date=2020-05-29}} She became the first woman to head the large, partially federally-funded, performing arts organization that includes many different types of performances and programs, as well as being a presidential memorial.

In the beginning of her tenure, she led the project to create the REACH, the first physical expansion of the Kennedy Center. The $250 million project was based on the assumption that people would want to meet with artists in a more casual setting which consists of a large and outstanding outdoor space designed by Steven Holl.{{Cite web|title=Interview: Can Deborah Rutter Make the Kennedy Center a Place Where People Actually Want to Hang Out?|url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2019/09/04/interview-deborah-rutter-kennedy-center-the-reach/|last=|first=|last2=|first2=|date=2019-09-04|website=Washingtonian|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-27}}{{cite news |last1=Flamer |first1=Keith |title=Kennedy Center Opens New Performing Arts Wing In Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/keithflamer/2019/09/30/kennedy-center-opens-new-performing-arts-wing-in-washington-d-c/ |access-date=21 October 2024 |publisher=Forbes}}

In 2018, Rutter launched DIRECT CURRENT, a festival of contemporary culture which focused on new and interdisciplinary art.{{Cite web|title=A Dinner Conversation with Deborah Rutter, President of the Kennedy Center|url=http://hcdc.clubs.harvard.edu/article.html?aid=1833|website=hcdc.clubs.harvard.edu|access-date=2020-05-29}} Over her tenure, she has expanded the Center’s programming, notably bringing in Q-Tip as the first artistic director of hip-hop culture.{{cite news |last1=Cooper |first1=Michael |title=She’s Putting Her Mark on the Kennedy Center |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/arts/music/deborah-rutter-kennedy-center.html |access-date=21 October 2024 |publisher=The New York Times |date=1 November 2019}}

As part of the Center’s 50th anniversary season celebration, Rutter oversaw the creation and 2022 opening of the permanent exhibit Art and Ideals: President John F. Kennedy.{{cite news |last1=Ruf |first1=Jessica |title=This New $20 Million Kennedy Center Exhibit Lets You Dream Up Your Own White House Guest List |url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2022/09/09/this-new-20-million-kennedy-center-exhibit-lets-you-dream-up-your-own-white-house-guest-list/ |access-date=21 October 2024 |publisher=Washingtonian |date=9 September 2022}} In January 2025, aged 68, she announced her intention to step down at the end of the year. Her 11-year tenure was noted for expanding the center both physically and programmatically.'[https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/01/27/kennedy-center-rutter-stepping-down/ Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter to step down later this year]', Washington Post, 27 January 2025 In February 2025, Rutter was dismissed as president of the Kennedy Center shortly after Donald Trump was made chairman of the organization, and as he dismissed almost all the Center's leadership.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/arts/music/trump-kennedy-center-chairman.html |title=Trump Made Chair of Kennedy Center as Its President Is Fired |first1=Javier C. |last=Hernández |first2=Robin |last2=Pogrebin |website=The New York Times |url-access=limited |date=February 12, 2025 |accessdate=February 12, 2025}} In March, she was announced to be the recipient of Washington, D.C.'s Arena Stage American Voice Award for her "extraordinary leaders[hip]" in the arts and arts education.{{Cite news |last=Rabinowitz |first=Chloe |date=2025-03-20 |title=Laura Benanti to Perform at Arena Stage Gala Honoring Eleanor Holmes Norton and Deborah F. Rutter |newspaper=Broadway World |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/washington-dc/article/Laura-Benanti-to-Perform-at-Arena-Stage-Gala-Honoring-Eleanor-Holmes-Norton-and-Deborah-F-Rutter-20250320 |access-date=2025-03-23 |language=en}}

Rutter holds professional membership or board positions for Vital Voices, and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.{{cite web |title=Deborah Rutter |url=https://www.vitalvoices.org/team/deborah-rutter/ |website=Vital Voices Global Partnership |access-date=21 October 2024}}{{cite web |title=Deborah F. Rutter |url=https://www.iadas.net/membership/bio/deborah-f--rutter/14856 |website=The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences |access-date=21 October 2024}} She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.{{cite web |title=Deborah F. Rutter |url=https://www.amacad.org/person/deborah-f-rutter |website=American Academy of Arts & Sciences |publisher=American Academy of Arts & Sciences |access-date=21 October 2024}} She has served the Academy on its board of directors, and as co-chair of its Arts Commission.

There were regular audits of Kennedy Center finances during Rutter's tenure, overseen by a committee of the Board of Trustees. In May of 2025, Richard Grenell the Kennedy Center's new acting president, appointed by President Trump, announced that a new audit of the finances of the Kennedy Center under Rutter showed $26 million of 'phantom revenue, fake revenue." Grenell added he would be making a criminal referral to the US attorney's office.https://www.dailywire.com/news/kennedy-center-execs-fabricated-financial-records-to-hide-deficit-spending-internal-documents-show?topStoryPosition=undefined&author=Tim+Rice&category=Exclusive&elementPosition=2&row=1&rowHeadline=Top+Stories&rowType=Top+Stories&title=Former+Kennedy+Center+Execs+Fabricated+Financials+To+Hide+Deficit+Spending%2C+Internal+Docs+Show

In response, Rutter issued a statement on May 20, 2025 refuting Grenell's contention and detailing the rigorous and transparent approach to strengthening the Kennedy Center's operating budget and the introduction of the "Sustainability Fund" which she implemented to "to cover potential

shortfalls in operating revenue that could result from any number of economic circumstances,

including sustaining us through the protracted global pandemic." When Rutter departed the Kennedy Center on February 12, 2025, the Sustainability Fund had a balance of $10 million. [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q4O-BTgF8PkmCbNmFnTc0qQXQCmzM7WU/view Deborah F. Rutter Statement - May 20, 2025].

In her statement, Rutter said that in each of her 10 years as president, the Kennedy Center's budget "served as a blueprint for our operations and programming — standard and responsible practice in arts management." Rutter further highlighted that the Board had full insight into the Kennedy Center's finances, noting that "Financial statements, as well as audit reports, were presented at every Board meeting, in fulfillment of the Board's fiduciary responsibilities."

Rutter's statement went on to speculate that Grenell was seeking to attribute current shortfalls to past management, "which would include the Board of Trustees, some of whom were appointed by

President Trump, in his previous term." In her statement and in subsequent interviews, Rutter noted that she had worked effectively with Kennedy Center Board appointees from both Democrat and Republican presidents, and for at least four years with entirely Trump-appointed Board members from his first term in office.

Former board chair David Rubenstein also refuted Grenell's allegation, stating: "With full transparency, the financial reports were reviewed and approved by the Kennedy Center's audit committee and full board as well as a major accounting firm." [https://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/nx-s1-5405565/kennedy-center-trump-deborah-rutter NPR - May 21, 2025] Current Attorney General Pam Bondi was a member of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees and a member of the Audit Committee also during Rutter's tenure.

Rutter is married to university professor and trombonist, Peter Ellefson.{{cite web|author=Anne Midgette |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/new-kennedy-center-president-deborah-rutter-is-seen-as-team-builder/2013/12/10/90151980-61d4-11e3-bf45-61f69f54fc5f_story.html |title=New Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter is seen as 'team builder' |work=The Washington Post |date=2011-02-25 |accessdate=2013-12-15}} Previously, she went by the name Deborah Rutter Card due to a former marriage. She has one daughter, Gillian (born 1998).[https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/deborah-rutter-gillian-card-and-hillary-clinton-attend-the-news-photo/1757004799 Deborah Rutter, Gillian Card, and Hillary Clinton at the 22nd Annual Global Leadership Awards, The Kennedy Center on October 25, 2023]

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Category:1950s births

Category:Living people

Category:Stanford University alumni

Category:Marshall School of Business alumni

Category:People from Encino, Los Angeles

Category:American arts administrators

Category:American women arts administrators

Category:Women's firsts

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)