Stage Door News
Stage Door News
On Wednesday 12 September, Luminato’s Board of Directors unanimously voted for the board’s leadership to pass from festival Co-Founder Tony Gagliano to Peter Herrndorf CC OOnt, most recently the former President and CEO of the National Arts Centre (NAC) in Ottawa and one of Canada’s most visionary arts leaders.
Co-founded by Tony Gagliano and David Pecault in 2007, Luminato was conceived to shine a spotlight on Toronto as a culturally vibrant and globally connected city, rich in creativity. In its first decade, Luminato became known for its distinctive and bold programming, staging more than 3,500 performances featuring 14,000 artists from over 40 countries.
Gagliano, Executive Chairman and CEO of St. Joseph Communications, and recent recipient of the Edmund C. Bovey Award for Philanthropy in the Arts, passes the leadership torch to Herrndorf after the 2018 festival, one of the most well-received seasons in the festival’s history. In 2018, Luminato presented 154 performances and events across 25 venues including 6 World, 3 North American and 3 Canadian Premieres, and 5 Luminato commissions. Of the 1,090 participating artists, 87% were Canadian and the remaining 13% were from 19 countries around the world.
Says Tony Gagliano: “Luminato came from a very ambitious yet very simple idea: to invite the best and brightest artists from around the world to perform alongside the best and the brightest artists from across Canada and together, light up the city of Toronto for the world to see. Over the last 12 years, the board has worked hard to ensure that the festival remained true to that original vision and there’s no one with greater stature, visibility or love for the arts and this city than Peter Herrndorf. As I pass on the torch, I truly believe that the best is yet to come.”
Peter Herrndorf stepped down as President and CEO of the NAC in June 2018 after 18 successful years. Among the many accomplishments during his tenure, Herrndorf led Canada’s largest performing arts organization through a $225.4M Architectural and Production Renewal project that modernized the NAC’s 49-year-old building. Prior to the NAC, Herrndorf was Chairman and CEO of TVOntario and held various executive-level roles including Head of TV Current Affairs Programming, Vice President of Corporate Planning and Vice President and General Manager at CBC’s English Language Radio and Television Networks. He also served as Publisher of Toronto Life.
“Knowing the legacy he’s leaving behind, I am humbled and extremely honoured to take on Luminato’s leadership from Tony Gagliano,” says Peter Herrndorf. “Having borne witness, seeing first hand Tony and David’s vision and then later execution of this incredible festival and the way it has been embraced by this city, I’m very much looking forward to working with Luminato’s excellent Board, new Artistic Director Naomi Campbell, CEO Anthony Sargent, ambitious staff and visionary partners to build on the foundation laid by Tony and David, helping Toronto’s shine even more brightly on the world stage.”
Dates for Luminato 2019 will be announced in the fall.
Photo: Peter Herrndorf. © V. Tony Hauser.
2018-09-18
Toronto: Peter Herrndorf officially takes over from Tony Gagliano as Luminato Board Chair