Contact: Brittany Griffith Director of Communications and Marketing (434) 528-3256 x131 bgriffith@academycenter.org OVER 600 LYNCHBURG AREA MUSIC STUDENTS GAIN ACCESS TO THE JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA The Academy Center of the Arts’ staff and board are proud to share that over 600 local middle and high school music students will travel to the newly restored Historic Academy of Music Theatre on Thursday, December 13, 2018, to experience the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s Big Band Holidays sound check with Wynton Marsalis. The sound check event will begin at 4:30pm in the Historic Theatre prior to the 7:30pm performance that evening. A question and answer portion will also be held between the students and musicians on stage prior to the concluding the event. “Youth outreach is really important to Wynton Marsalis,” said Geoffrey Kershner, Executive Director of the Academy Center of the Arts. “When arranging their visit, it was the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra who offered up this opportunity and it was something we jumped at. We loved the notion that not only would adult audiences benefit from this world-class artist but also area youth.” The Academy Center of the Arts is dedicated to […]
Archives for November 2018
Meet the Staff: Tabitha Abbott
by Morgan Yeatts As a Lynchburg native, Tabitha knows just how far downtown Lynchburg has come through the years. Before coming to the Academy Center of the Arts (ACOA), she worked at Amazement Square, eventually becoming their event planner, and then their Operations Director. Later, an event coordinator position was created for her at United Way. She has also worked with the Downtown Lynchburg Association to plan Get Downtown. Needless to say, Tabitha knows how to get things done. “Event planning is being really organized and creative; it’s something I kind of fell into that I love.” Tabitha met Dorie Smiley, former Operations Director of the ACOA, through the Downtown Lynchburg Association, of which Dorie is Vice President. As Dorie was in the process of stepping down from her role at the ACOA, preparing for retirement, Tabitha applied for the job and started in October of 2017. Although she isn’t planning events as much as she used to, Tabitha loves her position here at the Academy. “My position lends itself to be a part of everyone’s department and being a part of it in such a wide reaching way is really cool and special. It […]
