Description

Organization 

Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles along the city's renowned Grand Avenue cultural corridor, Colburn is an internationally recognized performing arts institution dedicated to providing the highest quality music and dance education while enriching the broader community through exceptional performances, artistic experiences, and community engagement. Serving more than 2,000 students annually, from young beginners to emerging professionals, Colburn encompasses the Conservatory of Music, Music Academy, Community School of Performing Arts, and Trudl Zipper Dance Institute. Through its commitment to artistic excellence, accessibility, and scholarship support, Colburn has established itself as one of the nation's leading institutions for performing arts education while also serving as a vibrant cultural destination for Los Angeles. 

Originally founded in 1950 as a preparatory music program affiliated with the University of Southern California, Colburn became an independent nonprofit organization in 1980 under the leadership of philanthropist Richard D. Colburn. Since relocating to its purpose-built campus in 1998, Colburn has become a cornerstone of Los Angeles's cultural district alongside institutions including Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Broad, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Its current campus features multiple performance venues, rehearsal and teaching studios, classrooms, and student residences. Primary performance spaces include the 430-seat Zipper Hall, encompassing approximately 8,300 square feet with a 1,100-square-foot stage; the 189-seat Thayer Hall, a roughly 1,600-square foot venue with a 550-square-foot stage; and the 80-seat Mayman Hall, a roughly 3,600-square-foot space with an 800-square-foot stage. Together, these venues provide Colburn with a diverse portfolio of large, midsize, and intimate spaces that support student and faculty performances, visiting artists, educational programs, community events, and rentals. 

The institution is now preparing for a transformational milestone with the 2027 opening of a Frank Gehry-designed concert hall and dance center, which will significantly expand its performance, educational, and community engagement capabilities while creating one of the world's largest concentrations of Frank Gehry-designed buildings. The expansion will include the 1,077-seat Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall equipped with a 70-musician orchestral pit and a modular sprung dance floor, allowing the space to accommodate a broad range of orchestral, chamber, dance, and multidisciplinary performances. It will also provide a new home for the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, Colburn's renowned dance education program. The new dance center will include a 100-seat dance studio theater, four spacious ballet and tap studios, administrative offices, and landscaped street-level and rooftop gardens with outdoor performance spaces. 

Today, Colburn presents more than 350 performances annually, featuring internationally acclaimed guest artists, faculty, and student ensembles across music and dance. As the organization prepares to open its expanded campus, it is entering a period of significant organizational growth that will substantially increase performance activity, audience capacity, and facility rental opportunities. 

Colburn’s Board of Directors is led by Chairman Andrew Millstein, and Sel Kardan serves as President and Chief Executive Officer. The AVP reports to the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer and has two direct reports, including the Senior Marketing Manager and the Box Office Manager.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, Colburn’s operating budget consists of total revenue of approximately $47 million, with 19% from tuition, fees, room and board, 7% from other earned revenue sources including ticket sales, rental and cafe revenue, 28% from contributed income, and 46% from endowment and similar revenue. The budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2028, is expected to grow with Colburn’s expansion, with an emphasis on other earned revenue opportunities.

Sources: edited from colburnschool.edu; propublica.org

Community 

Los Angeles, California, is a dynamic city shaped by extraordinary cultural diversity, creative energy, distinctive neighborhoods, and a dramatic landscape stretching from the Pacific coastline to mountains, canyons, and urban open spaces. With a 2025 estimated population of 3,869,089, Los Angeles is the largest city in California. More than one-third of residents are foreign-born, and 56.4% speak a language other than English at home, reflecting the international character that defines life in the city. Founded in 1781 near the Los Angeles River, Los Angeles has grown into a global center for arts, entertainment, media, culture, innovation, and commerce. Its cultural landscape includes The Broad, the Getty Center, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Hollywood Bowl, alongside an extensive network of museums, theaters, music venues, galleries, and cultural institutions. Beaches, mountains, trails, parks, Griffith Park, and Griffith Observatory also provide exceptional access to outdoor recreation. 

Los Angeles continues to invest in a more connected, sustainable, and resilient future, with ongoing efforts focused on housing, transportation, mobility, climate resilience, and access to open space. These priorities are especially significant as the city prepares to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, its third Olympic Games and first Paralympic Games, drawing largely on existing venues while supporting broader investments in transit, accessibility, sustainability, and regional infrastructure. In this globally connected and intensely creative setting, Los Angeles offers the cultural resources of an international metropolis alongside distinctive neighborhoods, year-round outdoor experiences, and an enduring spirit of reinvention. 

Sources: edited from lacity.gov; discoverlosangeles.com; la28.org; census.gov

Position Summary

The Assistant Vice President of Performance & Rentals Marketing (AVP) will lead the strategy to grow and diversify audiences, maximize earned revenue, build Colburn's profile as one of Los Angeles's premier destinations for music and dance, and position its world-class venues as sought-after destinations for performances, celebrations, conferences, and other special events. Blending bold brand-building with data-driven audience development and revenue-generating campaigns, the AVP will expand Colburn’s reach, convert awareness into attendance and bookings, and deepen loyalty among audiences and clients.

Through innovative marketing and audience engagement strategies, the AVP will help establish Colburn as a must-visit destination for both local residents and visitors while creating compelling experiences that inspire audiences and clients to return again and again. The AVP will advance a distinctive, unified brand vision that showcases Colburn's unique identity as a performing arts institution providing both exceptional performances and programs for the public and a world-class education for its students, strengthening its visibility, relevance, and impact across Los Angeles and beyond. This is an on-site position located at Colburn’s campus in downtown Los Angeles.

Roles and Responsibilities 

Performance Marketing and Revenue Growth

•        Lead the development and execution of comprehensive marketing strategies that drive ticket sales, attendance, and earned revenue across more than 350 performances annually and an expanding portfolio of venues. 
•        Meet ambitious performance revenue goals and develop the campaigns, pricing strategies, audience offers, and promotional approaches needed to achieve them. 
•        Identify and implement dynamic pricing, packaging, and other revenue strategies that maximize both attendance and earned income. 
•        Oversee integrated marketing campaigns across digital, email, web, social media, search, print, direct mail, radio, and other channels, balancing long-range strategy with hands-on execution.
•        Guide the development of compelling creative, messaging, and marketing materials that bring Colburn’s performances, artists, and experiences to life for audiences. 
•        Manage the performance marketing budget, establish and monitor key performance indicators and return on investment, and continually refine spending to support measurable attendance and revenue growth. 
•        Contribute to the rollout of Colburn’s creative identity across performance marketing materials and audience touchpoints. 
•        Mentor and develop the performance marketing team, including the Senior Marketing Manager, Performance Marketing Coordinator, and Box Office team, while helping shape team capacity as activity grows. 
•        Embrace other performance marketing and revenue growth responsibilities as needed.

Audience Development and Patron Engagement 

•        Develop and execute strategies to grow, diversify, and deepen engagement with Colburn’s distinct audiences, from core classical music, jazz, and dance patrons to first-time and emerging audiences. 
•        Cultivate new audiences while strengthening loyalty, frequency, and repeat attendance among existing patrons. 
•        Use audience segmentation, behavioral insights, and market trends to develop targeted campaigns and increasingly personalized audience experiences. 
•        Identify opportunities to enhance the value of attending Colburn performances through amenities, partnerships, special experiences, and other engagement initiatives. 
•        Collaborate early and strategically with the Philanthropy Team on strategies that strengthen patron relationships and advance institutional goals, including the development of donors giving under $1,000 and support for corporate sponsorship opportunities. 
•        Build relationships with community partners to expand access to Colburn performances through discounted and complimentary ticket programs. 
•        Cooperate with academic leadership, faculty, and colleagues across Colburn’s schools to identify and market priority student and faculty performances, ensuring audience development strategies reflect Colburn’s educational mission.
•        Evaluate the competitive landscape and evolving audience expectations to inform positioning, pricing, programming promotion, and engagement strategies.
•        Embrace other audience development and patron engagement responsibilities as needed.

Rentals Marketing and Earned Revenue Development 

•        Partner closely with the General Manager/Vice President of Events and Facilities, the Events and Rental Director, and other colleagues to establish goals, priorities, and strategies for growing rental activity and related earned revenue. 
•        Develop and implement marketing and sales strategies that position Colburn’s existing and expanded facilities as premier destinations for performances, celebrations, conferences, corporate events, and other special events.
•        Create compelling campaigns and collateral that showcase the distinctive capabilities, amenities, and experiences available across Colburn’s venues. 
•        Collaborate with designers, web manager, marketing team, and external partners to ensure rental marketing materials are cohesive, persuasive, and aligned with the Colburn brand. 
•        Identify new markets, audiences, partnerships, and promotional opportunities that can generate qualified rental inquiries and strengthen the rental pipeline. 
•        Help establish clear targets and measures of success for rental marketing and continually evaluate opportunities to increase revenue. 
•        Embrace other rentals marketing and earned revenue development responsibilities as needed.

New Performance Facilities and Destination Marketing 

•        Play a leadership role in preparing for the 2027 opening of Colburn’s transformational campus expansion. 
•        Develop and implement launch marketing strategies that build anticipation, drive attendance, establish long term audience growth, and introduce the expanded Colburn campus as a must-visit cultural destination. 
•        Help shape audience development, pricing, patron experience, and revenue strategies for the significantly expanded volume and range of performances made possible by the new facilities. 
•        Work with strategic partners to define marketing relationships and establish effective box office operations for the expanded campus. 
•        Support the development and implementation of new systems, processes, and organizational capabilities required to successfully market and operate the expanded performance facilities, including the recently implemented ticketing and philanthropy CRM, Spektrix, and the effective use of ticketing, CRM, digital, and emerging technologies. Establish key performance indicators and regularly evaluate progress toward launch, audience, revenue, and institutional goals. 
•        Embrace other new performance facilities and destination marketing responsibilities as needed.

Strategy, Analytics, and Organizational Leadership 

•        Translate market intelligence, audience behavior, sales trends, and competitive activity into actionable strategies that increase attendance, engagement, and revenue. 
•        Develop and monitor key performance indicators across ticket sales, audience development, marketing effectiveness, rentals, and other earned-revenue activities. 
•        Prepare and analyze data for pro formas, forecasting, financial reporting, and other institutional planning needs. 
•        Present regular reports to Executive Leadership that clearly communicate performance, emerging trends, successes, challenges, and opportunities for optimization. 
•        Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer and colleagues across the institution on opportunities to strengthen Colburn’s market position, audience reach, and earned-revenue potential. 
•        Bring both strategic vision and a willingness to engage at the tactical level, stepping into campaign development and execution on a regular basis. 
•        Help advance a unified vision for Colburn as both a world-class educational institution and one of Los Angeles’s premier destinations for music, dance, and live performance. 
•        Embrace other strategy, analytics, and organizational leadership responsibilities as needed.

Traits and Characteristics 

The AVP will be a resourceful and collaborative leader who is driven by practical results and committed to maximizing the effective use of time, talent, energy, and resources. Assertive and decisive, they will bring a strong sense of urgency to their work, responding quickly to changing priorities and navigating a fast-paced environment with confidence and composure. Highly interactive and adaptable, the AVP will communicate frequently, build strong relationships, and shift effectively between competing tasks and responsibilities. Receptive to new ideas, methods, and opportunities, they will balance innovation with sound instincts, bringing creativity and an openness to fresh approaches while remaining comfortable navigating ambiguity and calculated risk. Drawing on experience, intuition, and thoughtful judgment when needed, they will assess available information, provide clear direction, and make timely decisions without waiting for perfect conditions. Comfortable building structure where processes, systems, or approaches may still be evolving, they will bring clarity and organization to new and developing areas of work. With a supportive and team-oriented approach, they will contribute readily to the needs of others while maintaining the focus, initiative, and determination necessary to achieve meaningful results.

Other key competencies include: 

       Time and Priority Management – The dexterity to prioritize and complete tasks in order to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames. 

       Personal Accountability, Planning, and Organizing – The ability to demonstrate integrity and take responsibility for decisions in the process of establishing clear courses of action to ensure that work is completed effectively. 

       Goal Orientation – The tenacity to achieve inspirational and attainable goals while building trust and demonstrating the ability to lead, motivate, and organize a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders. 

       Self-Starting and Flexibility – The initiative to get started while readily responding, adapting, and adjusting to change with minimal resistance. 

       Continuous Learning – The curiosity to continually learn and apply new concepts, technologies, and methods to strengthen effectiveness and support desired outcomes.

Qualifications 

A minimum of 10 years of experience in performance marketing for a performing arts presenter, orchestra, opera company, or similar organization is required, including at least three years at the director level or equivalent. A demonstrated track record of planning, forecasting, and achieving annual ticket revenue goals of $1 million or more is essential, as is expertise in analyzing marketing data and translating insights into actionable strategies that increase ticket sales, audience engagement, and loyalty. Candidates should have strong knowledge of classical music, jazz, and dance, experience with dynamic pricing, audience segmentation, loyalty programs, and pricing strategy, and a thorough understanding of digital marketing. Experience supervising a box office team or working closely with box office operations, processes, and customer service is expected, along with familiarity with ticketing systems and CRM databases such as Tessitura, Spektrix, AudienceView, or similar platforms. The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker who is also comfortable implementing initiatives at a tactical level and will possess excellent communication, leadership, project management, and organizational skills, including the ability to plan long-term while managing multiple deadlines and substantial volumes of information and detail. Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills are essential, particularly the ability to work effectively with graphic designers, web managers, and colleagues across the organization in a process-oriented environment. The ability to navigate a complex organization, synthesize perspectives from artists, faculty, administrators, partners, and other stakeholders, and provide clear direction that moves decisions forward is also essential. Demonstrated experience managing, mentoring, and supervising staff is required, along with a passion for the arts and a deep understanding of the value and impact of live performance.

Compensation and Benefits 

Colburn offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package, including an annual salary range of $160,000 to $220,000. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, long-term and short-term disability, life insurance, paid vacation and sick leave, and a 403(b) retirement plan with a generous employer matching contribution.

Applications and Inquiries 

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/colburn-seeks-assistant-vice-president-of-performance-rentals-marketing/ 

Colburn is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an equitable, diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace and educational environment centered on access and excellence. Colburn does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, familial status, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Colburn is committed to providing equal employment opportunities in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, compensation, promotion, professional development, and other terms and conditions of employment.