Vienna, Virginia (December 8, 2016) –
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announces
Sara Beesley’s promotion to Senior Director, Program and Production. In this elevated role, she will oversee programming and performance operations at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts and The Barns at Wolf Trap.
“It takes a special kind of professional to balance Wolf Trap’s myriad artistic, commercial, and mission-driven interests, and to work effectively across our industry and with our partners at the National Park Service,” stated
Arvind Manocha, President and CEO of Wolf Trap Foundation. “Sara offers a fresh perspective, a nuanced ear for talent, and a command of the Washington, D.C. market, all of which have helped Wolf Trap expand our horizons in the past three seasons. We look forward to Sara’s continued leadership.”
Beesley joined Wolf Trap in March 2014 to support Manocha’s vision for refreshed programming that appealed to the broadest possible Washington-area audience. She has been instrumental in booking acts never before seen at Wolf Trap, including: Carlos Vives; Flight of the Conchords; Lenny Kravitz; Leon Bridges; Lindsey Stirling; Little Big Town; Meghan Trainor; Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats; Paul Simon; Sufjan Stevens; and Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, all of which made Wolf Trap debuts to capacity houses.
Working side by side with Manocha and her predecessor, Peter Zimmerman, Beesley has developed unprecedented seasons at both venues. Success indicators include a 32% increase in gross sales, an 8% increase in per-show ticket sales, and a record-breaking number of sell-outs. Patrons have responded enthusiastically to refreshed programming, which has drawn new, younger and more diverse audiences to Wolf Trap.
Prior to joining Wolf Trap Foundation, Beesley was the Associate Director of Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, where she programmed more than 800 performances a year at the 187-seat nonprofit venue. In 2009, she was selected to participate in the Association of Performing Arts Presenter’s Emerging Leaders Institute, a professional development program for some of the music industry’s most accomplished and promising young professionals. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Management from Manhattanville College.
“I am honored to take on this new role,” stated Beesley. “I'm looking forward to the chance to lead this incredible organization’s artistic endeavors and to continue to advance Wolf Trap's position as a ‘must-play’ venue for any touring artist making a stop in the Washington, D.C. market.”
Beesley and her team are currently preparing for Wolf Trap’s Summer 2017 season.
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Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, produces and presents a full range of performance and education programs in the Greater Washington area, as well as nationally. Wolf Trap features three performance venues: the outdoor Filene Center and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, both located at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns at Wolf Trap, located down the road from the national park and adjacent to the Center for Education at Wolf Trap. The 7,028-seat Filene Center is operated in partnership with the National Park Service and annually showcases an extensive array of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk, and blues to classical music, dance, and theatre, as well as multimedia presentations, from May through September. The Barns at Wolf Trap is operated by the Wolf Trap Foundation year round, and during the summer months is home to the Grammy-nominated Wolf Trap Opera, one of America’s outstanding resident ensemble programs for young opera singers. Wolf Trap’s education programs include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, a diverse array of arts education classes, grants, and a nationally recognized internship program.
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