SAN FRANCISCO (CelebrityAccess) — Janet Cowperthwaite, long-time manager of the San Francisco–based Kronos Quartet and founding Executive Director of the Kronos Performing Arts Association (KPAA), announced plans to step down from her leadership roles with the organization.
“Kronos Quartet got lucky when Janet Cowperthwaite joined us,” said Kronos founder, Artistic Director, and violinist David Harrington. “Soon she was our manager. How rare it is for her combined qualities of honesty, common sense, ingenuity, kindness, and a capacity for sustained hard work to all reside in one person. Janet soon became known affectionately throughout the worldwide music community. She has been instrumental in all of Kronos’ work these last 43 years. Janet has also been our bedrock through personal tragedies and societal traumas, and she has set the stage for the amazing career high points of Kronos. We are immensely and eternally grateful to Janet, and we wish her the very best always.”
“Janet’s strong sense of ethics, her willingness and ability to not just dream big but make those dreams a reality, and her complete dedication to the work have been central to the quartet’s extraordinary career. We will miss her enormously and are deeply grateful for all she has done to make Kronos the success that it is,” added Kenneth Foster, KPAA Board of Directors Co-chair and the former Executive Director of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Cowperthwaite started working with Kronos while she was a student at San Francisco State University before she was named KPAA’s first Managing Director, and later, its founding Executive Director.
Her achievements during her extended tenure with the organization include launching the Kronos Under 30 Project to commission and record the work of young composers; KRONOS MUSIC: The Future is Now, an education and mentoring program for high school musicians; and the upcoming Kronos Oral History Pilot Project, a collection of 50 oral histories collected from Kronos.
“When I first met the quartet, I could not have imagined the amazing world that would unfold,” said Cowperthwaite. “It has been a privilege and honor to work with Kronos, one of the most important, creative forces of our time. They are incredible musicians and I have always been grateful for their trust and friendship. I have deeply valued the talented and committed KPAA staff, past and present – without which none of the successes would have been possible – and our Board of Directors, a steadfast foundation of support over the years. Our collective efforts have brought a lot of wonderful music into the world. It’s been thrilling to have a life in the arts, to grow up with this band, to work with hundreds of remarkable artists, and to create treasured relationships with countless colleagues. I will begin my next chapter with a great sense of accomplishment, and I wish Kronos and KPAA continued success as they move forward into an exciting future.”
After she steps down from her role with the Kronos Quartet in October, Cowperthwaite said she plans to pursue other opportunities in the performing arts.
