From its inception, Vivo Performing Arts became a mainstay of Boston's cultural life with performances by Ignace Jan Paderewski, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Vladimir Horowitz, Jascha Heifitz, Lily Pons, Francois Poulenc, the Trapp Family Singers, Isaac Stern, Andres Segovia, Marian Anderson, Martha Graham and Company, Yehudi Menuhin, Glenn Gould, Burl Ives, Rudolf Serkin, Van Cliburn, Maria Callas, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, the Bolshoi Ballet, Maurice Chevalier, the Joffrey Ballet, the Israel Philharmonic, Ravi Shankar, Olivier Messiaen, Marilyn Horne, Dizzy Gillespie, Victor Borge, Beverly Sills, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Jacqueline du Pre, Twyla Tharp Dance and Luciano Pavarotti.
Many nationally and internationally recognized artists made their Boston debuts with the Celebrity Series. They include the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Yo-Yo Ma, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Emanuel Ax, Leontyne Price, and many more.
Leadership of the organization has remained consistent over its lifetime. In 1958, Aaron Richmond hired Walter Pierce as a Programming Associate. He later became Executive Director and guided the Series from a "mom and pop"-style presenter to a fully-staffed, not-for-profit organization.
In 1986, Mr. Pierce hired Martha H. Jones as the Series' Director of Marketing. She later became General Manager, and, in 1996, was appointed President and Executive Director. Ms. Jones increased the impact of the Celebrity Series on Boston audiences through the creation of new outreach programs, the presentation of innovative dance programs and the commissioning of new works.
In 2011 the organization appointed Gary Dunning as President and Executive Director, the fourth leader of the Celebrity Series over its storied history and the first appointed from outside the organization.
With a reputation for artistic excellence and innovative curation honed over the decades, Vivo Performing Arts now presents nearly 100 performance events each year. Of those, approximately 75 are offered to paid, ticketed audiences, and 20-25 are presented free of charge, through our own Neighborhood Arts program and partnerships with local arts presenters.
In addition to these performance events, our touring and Boston-based artists offer dozens of workshops, masterclasses, and residencies in schools and community centers across Boston and beyond. Our Public Performance Projects activate Boston's great public spaces, inviting audiences to enjoy music and dance in new ways.
In a region rich with cultural offerings, Vivo Performing Arts is a critical part of the cultural fabric of Boston and New England. Our new identity is built on our legacy, and brings it vibrantly to the present, articulating what we offer and the joy we have shared with generations of audiences.