Episode 35: Building a Performing Arts Center from the Ground Up

Hello everyone this is Mike Epstein and welcome to speaking of the arts. My guest today is Aisha Ahmad-Post. Aisha was recently named director of the Ent Center for the Arts at the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs. This is going to be a great episode as Aisha has a totally unique perspective on running a performing arts center. In fact, she has had to build her program literally from the ground up! This episode is full of useful information and we cover a lot.

Prior to her new role in Colorado, Aisha served as the public programs producer at the New York Public Library. Before that, she worked for the Aspen Music Festival and School and also at Columbia Artists Management. There she worked with artists including classical pianist Lang Lang and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. A classically trained pianist and double bassist, Aisha taught music theory as an associate instructor at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music. In fact, I first met Aisha when we were both students at Indiana. Look at us now!