Scene Change: Adapting to the Opportunities and Challenges of Presenting Live Performing Arts Events in a Post-Pandemic World

Thursday, November 14, 2024
9:30am - 10:30am
Norlin Library's Center for British & Irish Studies room (CBIS M549)

Co-hosted by CU Boulder's Entrepreneurship Center for Music and the Center for Humanities & the Arts.

Join us for a panel discussion exploring the live performing arts in a post-pandemic world. Attendees will gain insight into adapting to audience expectations and overcoming challenges in navigating the future of the performing arts. Whether you're a student, performer, administrator, manager, promoter, or an arts advocate, we invite you to join the conversation.

Thursday, November 14, 2024 | 9:30am - 10:30am
Center for British & Irish Studies (CBIS Room, M549) | Norlin Library

Note: To access the CBIS Room, please enter through the west entrance of Norlin Library, located near Norlin Quad. Once inside, the elevator will be on your left. Take the elevator or stairs to the 5th floor for the CBIS Room.

Meet Our Panelists

Rudy Betancourt

Director, Macky Auditorium, Director and Curator of the CU Boulder Artist Series

Bud Coleman

Professor Emeritus, Department of Theatre & Dance

Andrew Metzroth

Executive Director of CU Presents

Kelly Waltrip

Executive Director of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra Association

More About the Panelists

Rudy Betancourt

Rudy Betancourt has served as Director of Macky Auditorium since 2010 and as Director/Curator of the CU Boulder Artist Series since 2024. In this capacity, Betancourt oversees all operations of the historic venue and works, along with its staff of more than 100 students and stage professionals, with strategic partnerships on- and off-campus in order to ensure its long-term success as a business unit of the University of Colorado Boulder. Under Betancourt’s leadership, Macky Auditorium opens its door to more than 80,000 people a year, hosting a wide variety of performances and events such as the College of Music’s large ensembles concerts, Opera and the Holiday Festival, CU Presents, the Boulder Philharmonic, the Conference on World Affairs, TEDx Boulder, MalherFest, CU Student and Academic organizations, as well as concerts produced by LiveNation, AEG, Emporium Presents, and other regional and national promoters.

An award-winning classical guitarist, Betancourt emigrated from Venezuela in 1995. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, a Master’s Degree in Music Performance from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music and a Business Management Certificate from the University of Denver’s Daniels School of Business. Prior to his work at Macky Auditorium, Betancourt has held positions in the Education, Artistic and Marketing Departments at the Colorado Symphony (as well as performed and recorded with the orchestra), and has overseen the Marketing and Communications efforts at Swallow Hill Music Association in Denver while keeping a busy performance schedule.

Bud Coleman is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he previously served as Chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance and Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. He has directed and choreographed numerous musicals and operas, including “Fiddler on the Roof” at Mahidol University in Thailand and Sondheim’s “Company” in Vladivostok, Russia, under the auspices of the U.S. State Department.

Additionally, he was a 2009-10 Fulbright Lecturer in Tokyo. Formerly a dancer with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Fort Worth Ballet, Kinesis, and Ballet Austin, Bud has also worked with Curious Theatre, Eklund Opera, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and Bas Bleu.

Andrew Metzroth

Andrew Metzroth (he/him) has been an avid arts patron and creator since he saw "A Christmas Carol" live at age 3. As executive director for CU Presents, he oversees ticketing and marketing services for the College of Music, the Artist Series, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival and CU Theatre and Dance.

Outside of CU Presents, he has worked professionally in the theatre and performing arts since 2005. His theatrical design and production work has been seen in over 150 productions throughout the U.S., including at CU Boulder, Denver Center Theatre Company, South Coast Repertory, Single Carrot Theatre, Arvada Center, and Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company (BETC).

Metzroth is a co-host of "Alzabo Soup," a literary speculative fiction podcast. He holds a BFA in theatre technology, a BA in religious studies, an MA in theatre, and an MS in organizational leadership from CU Boulder.

Kelly Waltrip has served as Executive Director of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra Association for over a decade and more than five years as Managing Director of the Alliance between DYAO and the Colorado Symphony. During her tenures, DYAO has become recognized for Excellence, increasing access, and for strategic partnerships.

DYAO has received several American Prize Awards for performance as well as commitment to American Music. In addition, DYAO continues to be invited to perform at national and international festivals and has been the recipient of two world premiere commissions at Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall.

In 2018-2019, Kelly was instrumental in creating an Alliance between the Denver Young Artists Orchestra and the Colorado Symphony which has grown into a new model that other communities are looking to. In addition, DYAO is a founding member and fiscal sponsor of AMEE (Alliance for Music Education Equity) that began in 2020. Finally, in 2021, DYAO launched Musical Pathways which has expanded access to DYAO programs by reducing barriers to private lessons, instruments, transportation, and other areas.

Prior to moving to Colorado, Kelly served as General Manager of Lexington Philharmonic from 2019-2014, where she was responsible for all aspects of artistic planning, educational programming, and orchestra operations. She has built her career in arts management working with a range of artistic and educational institutions including the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, the Detroit Symphony, and the Aspen Music Festival.

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