Saratoga Performing Arts Center names new president

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Saratoga Performing Arts Center named Christopher Shiley as their new president on Friday. Shiley was promoted from his former role as SPAC's Senior Vice President of Artistic Planning.

Shiley has been with SPAC since 2018 after previously working for orchestral touring company Classical Movements and serving as Operations Coordinator for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's OrchKids program. An established trumpeter, Shiley received his Master of Music Performance from Temple University and his Bachelor of Music Performance from Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Institute.

"Chris has become an invaluable asset to SPAC and to our leadership team over the past seven years," said SPAC CEO Elizabeth Sobol. "Elevating his role to become SPAC’s President is an important step as we plan for the organization's future and will allow me, for the first time in my tenure, to focus almost exclusively on strategic matters. In his new position, Chris will oversee SPAC’s programming and operations while I continue my work to guide SPAC's long-term strategic vision, growth, and financial sustainability."

"I relocated to Saratoga Springs seven years ago to pursue an opportunity at one of America’s most prestigious amphitheaters. Under Elizabeth's leadership, I have grown alongside the organization itself, strengthening my commitment to the arts and to this community," Shiley stated. "SPAC is now a vibrant year-round organization with a continued focus on growth and community impact through our robust education programming and multiple stages that the best artists in the world call home. I look forward to my continued work with the incredible SPAC staff and utilizing the skills that I have developed here to make a broader impact across the entire organization."