Nathan Leventhal Photo by Don Purdue, courtesy Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Nathan Leventhal to Step Down as President of Lincoln Center

Nathan Leventhal, President of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts since March 1984, has decided to step down from his position as of December 31, 2000, he and Lincoln Center Chairman Beverly Sills announced on March 27. Mr. Leventhal will have served as President of Lincoln Center for almost 17 years, the longest tenure of any President since the performing arts center's incorporation in 1956.

Beverly Sills, Chairman of the Board of Lincoln Center, said "Nat and I have been friends for over 20 years, so his decision to leave Lincoln Center has both a personal and a professional impact for me. As a colleague I will miss his leadership, his dedication and his wise counsel. As a friend I will still benefit from his wit, his caring nature and, of course, his love of the opera! While Nat's departure from the position of President is a tremendous loss, I have insisted that he remain a part of the Lincoln Center family. I will propose to the Lincoln Center Board that he become a Director as of January 1, 2001."

Miss Sills went on, "Over the past 18 months we have worked very hard in the evaluation and planning phase of the next major project at Lincoln Center - the refurbishment and renovation of many of the buildings and public spaces on the campus. As a member of the Board, Nat will provide invaluable expertise and support as we move forward with our capital improvement plans." She added that she plans to form a committee of the Board of Directors to conduct the search for a new President.

Mr. Leventhal said, "For the past 16 years I have had the greatest job in the world, working with a caring and committed Board, a great staff and three superb chairmen, Martin E. Segal, George Weissman and Beverly Sills. I have also had the privilege of working with our 11 exceptional constituent companies, each of which is a leader in its respective discipline. I now want to enjoy some increased leisure time, while maintaining and expanding my portfolio of business and non-profit activities. As a prospective Board member, I am thrilled that I will continue to work closely with Beverly, who as a leader and friend has been an inspiration to me and the entire Lincoln Center family."

He added, "All of us -- Board, staff, patrons and donors -- can be proud of our many accomplishments over the past 16 years. During that time we have established Lincoln Center as a leading presenter of creative and innovative programs. These include the establishment of Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the launch of Midsummer Night Swing, the Lincoln Center Festival, the "New Visions" series within Great Performers and, most recently, Lincoln Center's American Songbook. At the same time, we have maintained, and even built upon, the excellence of our many other activities. I am particularly pleased that while this programmatic expansion was taking place, we achieved 16 consecutive years of balanced budgets. While I am proud that these accomplishments took place during my tenure, they are really the result of the ideas and dedication of the many wonderful people with whom I have worked."

During Mr. Leventhal's time at Lincoln Center, management also oversaw the first campus construction since Lincoln Center's completion in 1969, the Samuel B. and David Rose building.

Mr. Leventhal will remain a member of the National Council of the National Endowment for the Arts, having been appointed by President Clinton and confirmed by the United States Senate in 1997. He is also a Director of 16 equity and fixed income mutual funds affiliated with the Dreyfus Corporation; a member of the Board of Visitors of both Columbia Law School and City University Law School; a member of the Board and Executive Committee of the Queens College Foundation; and a member of CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein's Business Advisory Council.

Nathan Leventhal has also had a distinguished career in government, serving in both Washington, D.C. and New York City. After service in the Pentagon, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, he served as Chief of Staff to Mayor John Lindsay, Deputy Mayor to Mayor Ed Koch, and Chairman of Mayor David Dinkins' transition committee.

Mr. Leventhal earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Affairs from Queens College, and his J.D. degree from Columbia Law School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Law Review.