Remembering Joan Boyett: Ardent Supporter of Colburn and the Performing Arts in Los Angeles
Throughout her lifetime, Joan Boyett generously extended her time, knowledge, support, and passion for the performing arts to institutions, artists, and students, including the Colburn School. It is with saddened hearts that we share the news of her passing.
Boyett served on the Colburn Board of Directors from 2007 to 2014, but her enthusiasm touched the School in many ways for many years. For instance, she was resolutely committed to introducing audiences to the high-caliber musicianship of the Colburn Orchestra. She was instrumental in bringing the Colburn Orchestra to The Soraya, even arranging for the orchestra to conduct acoustic testing before the venue opened in 2011, and helping establish the orchestra as a regular presence at the venue.
“Because of her vast experience, first as an executive assistant to Ernest Fleischmann and then as head of education at the Music Center, she was very effective and very, very special to me and to us and to all of us at Colburn,” said Colburn Orchestra Music Director Yehuda Gilad. “She collected all her friends and brought many people who otherwise would never have come to hear the Colburn Orchestra. Everywhere she went, she was a fantastic ambassador for our school overall and the orchestra in particular. Joan came to lots of concerts at The Soraya, and after every one, she would come out with a huge smile,’” he says.
(The Colburn Orchestra returns to The Soraya next month. Learn more here.)
Boyett also was an admirer of ballet and other forms of dance, and served a central role in developing a community of supporters for the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute.
“Joan, along with Jennifer Diener, spearheaded the Colburn Dance Council, and was so generous in bringing her experience and extensive contacts to our efforts as we worked to grow the dance program. She was a sharp and effective ally, bringing many different constituents together for a common goal with her charm and aplomb. And in my recollection, no one ever said no to Joan! She leaves a beautiful legacy at the Colburn School, and will be greatly missed,” says Leslie Carothers, a member of the Colburn Dance faculty.
“While on the Board, Joan conceived of and promoted—with me as her eager acolyte—the Dance Council, people who loved dance and wanted to support that aspect of the School. The council brought together dozens of dance lovers who eagerly attended performances, rehearsals, master classes, and held educational talks on ballet and other types of dance. That group also raised the money for the first real portable dance floor for the School,” remembers Jennifer Diener, Colburn Board member.
James Fayette, Jenifer Ringer, Joan Boyett, and Jennifer Diener celebrating Jenifer Ringer’s final performance with the New York City Ballet in 2014.
“Joan Boyett was one of the first champions of dance Jenifer Ringer (former dean of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute) and I had the pleasure of meeting in Los Angeles. Her poise and elegance reflected the art form she loved, and her work and relationships through the council helped us shape Colburn Dance into a world-class training program,” notes James Fayette, former associate dean of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute.
“Her smile lit up a room, and her positivity made everything seem possible. She lives on in the dance program she helped build, in the work we shared, and in the lives she touched. We will deeply miss her beautiful presence,” Fayette adds.
A Life Lived for the Performing Arts
Boyett’s introduction to music, dance, and theatre came at a young age, watching her mother teach and play as an accompanist for some of Hollywood’s early stars. Plus, her father participated in numerous arts organizations in Southern California, including the Theatre Association of California. Those early influences evolved into professional passions. For a decade, Boyett worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, producing Open House at the Hollywood Bowl and Symphonies for Youth at The Music Center.
As an enthusiastic proponent of performing arts education, Boyett dedicated herself to creating avenues for young people to explore all kinds of art forms. In 1979, at the behest of Dorothy Chandler, Boyett established The Music Center’s Education Division and served as vice president of education. During her 20-year tenure at The Music Center, she grew the division into one of the largest arts education programs in the country with more than 120,000 events reaching approximately 14 million people. That work garnered the Governor’s Award for the Arts. Additionally, Boyett was instrumental in establishing the LA County High School for the Arts.
Even after her career concluded in 2001, Boyett’s commitment to promoting and supporting the performing arts never waned. In addition to the Colburn Board, she served on several advisory boards, including The Music Center’s Board of Governors, the Garry Marshall Theatre, and was the founding chair of The Soraya Ambassadors. She also was honored with the California Arts Council’s Distinguished Arts Educator award, and the Los Angeles Times named her Woman of the Year in 1976 for her civic and cultural contributions to the city. Boyett was even named one of the 10 best dressed women in Los Angeles.
“She was always elegantly dressed, perfectly coiffed, and dignified, but also with a bright sense of fun and good humor,” says Diener.