New CEO named by Charleston Gaillard Center
Lissa Frenkel to start in July
Charleston Gaillard Center
Charleston Gaillard Center, a world-class performance hall featuring pre-eminent performers across artistic genres and arts-enhanced education programs throughout the Charleston community, announced Lissa Frenkel as its new chief executive officer. She will begin her new role in July 2021.
Most recently, Frenkel served as managing director of the Park Avenue Armory, a premier cultural institution producing and commissioning unconventional works in the performing and visual arts in Manhattan. During her tenure with the Armory, she was instrumental in building its operating budget from $6 million to $27 million and in leading the $165 million in capital redevelopment projects that invested in the adaptive reuse and restoration of the building.
“I look forward to building on the Gaillard Center’s successes and leading the Charleston Gaillard Center team to expand the institution’s identity as a world-class innovator in the performing arts in the region. I am thrilled to be joining such a culturally adventurous community in Charleston and at the prospect of partnering with both the Gaillard’s resident companies and collaborators and the broader Charleston community as a conduit for artistic expression and conversation in the city. Working closely with the Gaillard Performance Hall Foundation, I am delighted to support Charleston’s long-term commitment to the arts,” said Frenkel.
Prior to the Armory, Frenkel worked at the Lincoln Center Development Project, a $500 million cultural redevelopment of the Lincoln Center complex in Manhattan that included the expansion of The Julliard School, Alice Tully Hall and multiple public spaces.
Originally from Boston, Frenkel earned her undergraduate degree in art history from Emory University and her master’s degree in urban planning from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.
The Charleston Gaillard Center opened in 2015 after a $142 million renovation. With a design echoing the tradition of Europe’s renowned opera houses, the Martha & John M. Rivers Performance Hall features superb acoustics, meticulously integrated in the design, construction and furnishings. With a capacity to seat 1,818, the hall features a 65-musician orchestra pit, nine dressing rooms, six certified sensory- inclusive areas and has programmed Broadway shows, musicians, authors, comedians and performance artists ranging from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Charleston Jazz Festival to Keb’ Mo’, Renee Fleming and Tony Bennett.
In addition to the Martha & John M. Rivers Performance Hall, The Charleston Gaillard Center features a 13,137-square-foot Grand Ballroom, an expansive 8,587-square-foot terrace lawn and a variety of pre- function spaces, complete with a full-service, on-site catering team. Throughout the years, The Charleston Gaillard Center has hosted many notable cultural, political and corporate events, including the 2016 and 2020 Democratic Party presidential debates, Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, South Carolina International Trade Conference and Benefitfocus’ One Place conference.
The Charleston Gaillard Center is a nonprofit, state-of-the-art performing arts center located in downtown Charleston, S.C. Opened in 2015, the Gaillard’s vision to be a community centerpiece is illustrated through its premier year-round programming and partnership with the Gaillard Performance Hall Foundation to extend educational opportunities throughout the community. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.