photos: Kendra Ingram on left; counterclockwise from top-left: Esperanza Spalding, Mike Birbiglia, Norah Jones and Ballet Folklorico de Mexico. The latter four all perform on the dates listed as part of Omaha Performing Arts' upcoming schedule.
Kendra Ingram came to Omaha on the prospect of a dream job. After years of working in managerial roles with orchestras in Tulsa, Phoenix, Detroit and Baltimore, among others, Ingram was seeking work in cultural presenting, and Omaha Performing Arts had just the position available.
Now after a little more than nine months, Ingram has booked her first season, which was partly her predecessor's. As an outsider, she's picked up on the importance of the music scene to Omaha. With that in mind, she strives to do her part to bring acts such as Mike Birbiglia, Norah Jones and Lucky Peterson to the Holland Center, Orpheum Theater and 1200 Club respectively.
"Every city has something to offer musically," says Ingram, vice president of programming and education at Omaha Performing Arts. "It's my role as a presenter to find those things and really celebrate what those cities have to offer."
Here, Ingram talks further about her dream job and her background with House of Loom's Brent Crampton. This is the fourth pair of stories in the series we call A Conversation, which features two disparate members Nebraska's music scene interviewing each other about what they do best. Read part one of this pair with Crampton here, and learn more with the rest.
Michael Todd is Hear Nebraska's managing editor. He's young but has an old soul and listens to that Garrison Keillor, who comes to the Holland Center on May 21, 2013. He is OK. Reach Michael at michaeltodd@hearnebraska.org.