Santa Rosa Symphony’s Ben Taylor takes job with Luther Burbank Center for the Arts

Santa Rosa Symphony Director of Development Ben Taylor has taken a job with the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts.

Taylor, whose last day will be Oct. 27, was responsible for working with the symphony’s partners, such as The Press Democrat, in order to make the symphony’s artistic and educational programs possible.

He has accepted a position as the development director for the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa.

In the interim, until Taylor’s replacement has been hired at the symphony, all projects and plans previously handled by Taylor will be handled by Alan Silow, the Symphony’s president and CEO, said symphony representatives.

Taylor took over in his current position at the symphony in 2016, after working in the symphony's education department for 12 years, lastly as director of education.

With more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Taylor’s focus has been mainly on program design and building community relationships. He has also been music director for the Albany Community Chorus and the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Santa Rosa.

Also a composer, Taylor's works have been performed across North America and China by ensembles such as the Cleveland Chamber Symphony; Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra; Festival Choir of Madison, Wisconsin; and the Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra, according to the symphony. He also has sung tenor in Philharmonia Baroque, Berkeley Symphony, Sonoma Bach and the Folger Consort.

Rick Nowlin, president and CEO of Luther Burbank Center, also announced the creation of a new staff position at the center, promoting longtime center staffer Anita Wiglesworth to vice president of programs and marketing.

Wiglesworth, who joined the center 20 years ago, will be responsible for the overall stewardship, strategy and management of the Luther Burbank Memorial Foundation’s brand identity as a community-based nonprofit performing arts center.

She also oversees arts and entertainment programming, facility rentals, patron services and the visual arts programs.

Her accomplishments include expansion of public, educational and visual arts programs; record-breaking ticket sales; increasing revenue by 40%; and creation of new audience development initiatives such as the Latino Advisory Council and online offerings including the virtual Fiesta de Independencia and the “Luther Locals” and “Muse Hour” series.

Nowlin added that Robin Seltzer is the center’s new director of special projects, with a focus on leadership gifts and endowment. Seltzer joined the center as director of development in November 2009 and will help with Taylor’s transition into that job, Nowlin said.