Colburn Center Expansion

In 2024, the Colburn School of Music & Dance broke ground on a new campus expansion, the Colburn Center. The new complex will include a 1,000-seat concert hall designed by Frank Gehry with acoustics by Nagata Acoustics, a large studio theatre for dance and other presentations, multiple education support rooms, and special event spaces.

Until this moment, the organization had operated as a traditional academic institution, using its existing performance spaces for educational events such as auditions, recitals, and showcases—without ticketing or charging admission. This led to an operational and business model built with a curatorial mindset. With the opening of this world-class facility, the organization recognized the need for evolution.

TheatreDNA’s team of strategic business and operations specialists was engaged to help transition the academic institution into a presenting entity capable of running a new business enterprise. The consulting team immersed themselves within the organization to absorb its culture, gauge capabilities, and understand its values. This was crucial because the Colburn Center would continue to play a major role in student development while also becoming a landmark cultural venue for Los Angeles.

The scope of work included:

Executive coaching
Strategic business planning
Financial analysis & pro forma generation
Market research
Ticketing & venue management software procurement & implementation
Workflow systems design
Reorganization consulting
New business unit onboarding
Artistic programming planning