Penn State’s Center for the Performing Arts director announces retirement
Penn State’s Center for the Performing Arts director plans to retire in July after more than 16 years at the helm, the university announced Friday.
George Trudeau, who also worked as an associate clinical professor in the College of Arts and Architecture, said he plans to spend more time with his family and be a more active volunteer.
“I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to serve Penn State and the communities we impact. It has been an honor and privilege to work alongside an amazing and dedicated team,“ Trudeau said in a statement. “... It has not been an easy decision to step away at this time, but I do so knowing the center is well-positioned to continue to advance as a leader amongst university-based performing arts centers.”
The center “significantly” elevated its national programming profile, which was driven by “substantial” increases in foundation and philanthropic support under Trudeau’s leadership, the university said.
He also established partnerships throughout Happy Valley, resulting in broader artistic residencies, academic relationships and engagement programs, the university said.
Trudeau is known as a national leader among university arts presenters, retired College of Arts and Architecture Dean Barbara Korner said in a statement.
“George Trudeau’s advocacy for the arts within the university and the surrounding region enlivens the performing arts in central Pennsylvania,” she said. “His commitment to fostering master classes, educational programs in community settings, and reaching students and university employees means that many more people have a chance to experience the arts in meaningful ways.”
The university credited Trudeau with bringing “some of the most innovative artists of our time” to the center, including the Kronos Quartet, Engarde Arts, Maria Schneider, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and Emanuel Ax.
Grants secured during his tenure, like the Doris Duke Charitable Trust and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, have supported multi-year innovative projects that expanded the scope of the center’s engagement with academic and community partners, the university said.
The center “thrived” under Trudeau’s leadership, College of Arts and Architecture Dean B. Stephen Carpenter II said in a statement.
“During George’s time as director, the center underscored Penn State’s ability to attract world-class performers and its capacity to host relevant community-based programming in the arts,” Carpenter said. “He helped shape the center as an influential arts, culture and education resource in Pennsylvania.”
The center in 2016 launched its Diversity and Inclusion Collaborative to elevate the role of the performing arts at Penn State in fostering an inclusive environment, the university said.
Trudeau’s long aspired to make the center one of the top reasons students want to attend Penn State through his commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, the university said.
A national search to find his successor is expected to begin in the “near future,” with a new director anticipated to be appointed Aug. 1, the university said.
This story was originally published January 10, 2020 at 11:16 AM.