Jazz & Blues Society names executive director

Jan. 7, 2020

Alexandra Gilbert-Schrag, whose experience includes working at multiple national arts organizations, has been named the new executive director of the Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society.

Gilbert-Shrag previously worked for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where she served as honoree manager for the Kennedy Center Honors, associate producer for the spring gala and coordinator of day-to-day management of shows presented by the Kennedy Center. She also worked at the United Nations Cultural Center in Washington, D.C.

She continued to consult for the Kennedy Center Honors after moving to South Dakota in 2018 to be close to family and help with renovation of the family homestead near Freeman.

“We are excited to bring Alex into our organization to lead our efforts in our community,” board president Beth Ormseth said in a statement. “She is a proven professional with a passion for nonprofit organizations, education and music programming, with the energy to lead Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society into the future.”

Former executive director Trygve Fredrickson will remain with the organization during the transition.

“I’m excited that Alex is joining the Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues team and taking the reins to grow an organization I care about deeply,” he said.

Gilbert-Schrag has a bachelor’s degree in music and arts management from American University in Washington, D.C. She joins the Jazz & Blues Society at a time of transition, as it announced recently it will discontinue JazzFest for 2020 and evaluate its model, with a focus on expanding  educational programming.

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Jazz & Blues Society names executive director

Alexandra Gilbert-Schrag, whose experience includes working at multiple national arts organizations, has been named the new executive director of the Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society.

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