Rachael Brightwell Welcomes Audiences Back to Live Performing Arts Events at the Schwartz Center by Holley Calmes
“A
t the moment, my dreams are shaped by the period of time in which we find ourselves — I dream of a packed house with a full orchestra onstage,” says Rachael Brightwell, managing director of Emory University’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. Having endured the COVID pandemic and the affect it had on the arts, Brightwell looks forward to the March announcement of the Schwartz Center’s 2022-2023 full roster of performances. The Center’s 20th anniversary will be celebrated in 2023, and the fact that patrons and students are returning in person to the concert hall is exciting to Brightwell, who came to Emory in 2013. “It’s really unique that we are preparing for the 20th anniversary of the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts at the same time we are transitioning back to in-person performances. It’s given us this really interesting opportunity to clearly see how important the performing arts are to our students and audiences, and it’s never been clearer that the value they add to our lives is immeasurable,” Brightwell explains. The Schwartz Center’s Emerson Concert Hall is one of Atlanta’s cultural gems, and nearly 100 concerts are presented each year in addition to the acclaimed Candler Concert Series and Schwartz Artist-in-Residence series. The Candler Series features young, up-and-coming performers alongside
Rachael Brightwell, Managing Director of Emory University’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts the world’s most established artists. The Schwartz Artist-in-Residence series bring to the campus artists who teach and engage with Emory and Atlanta-area students. Enhanced focus on Diversity is also planned. Blackwell says, “Representation matters, and it’s important to us that our students and community see performers on our stage that are reflective of the student body and the community in which we live. Beyond ensuring that there is a more diverse representation in our roster of visiting artists, we work with Atlanta area schools to bring in primary and secondary aged students to learn directly from our visiting artists.” The Schwartz Center is also a prime venue for productions featuring dance and other types of performing artists. And although the public must wait until March to see the 2022-2023 Season, Brightwell has an announcement. “I am thrilled to give a sneak peek and tell you that we’ll present the return of Anne Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi in February 2023, nearly 20 years to the day the Schwartz Center opened its doors!”
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