New Leadership Takes the Artistic Reins: Jeffrey de Caen Joins the Team
The Holy Cross community is excited to welcome Jeffrey de Caen as the new Director of the Prior Performing Arts Center, effective June 1, 2025. Current Interim Director, Kyle Frisina, announced new opportunities for community members to get involved at the center on October 26, 2022.
Frisina, who has led the center for the past three years, has made significant strides in increasing creative accessibility and visibility on campus. She has also bridged a gap between the Holy Cross community and the Worcester area, developing the center into a place for endless creative expression.
While search results did not provide detailed information about de Caen's background in the Performing Arts field, he is recognised primarily as a costume designer, with a career spanning theatre, opera, and related fields. De Caen has contributed to a variety of significant stage productions, often bringing expertise in costume creation and design to enhance theatrical storytelling.
De Caen currently serves as the Associate Dean for operations at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. Notably, he has worked alongside renowned organisations such as the LA Opera, LA Philharmonic, and the GRAMMY Foundation. He also represents over 20,000 staff members as the President of the USC Staff Assembly.
Provost Visonsi, the Provost and Dean of the College at Holy Cross, has expressed his vote of confidence for de Caen and emphasized his commitment to fostering artistic excellence at Holy Cross.
The 2024 Fall Concert, which took place at the Prior Performing Arts Center, was filled with melodies and harmonies. The event featured students, faculty, and families and was hosted by the College Choir and Chamber Singers. Lizzie Swanson '28 reported on the 2024 Fall Concert as News Editor.
In an interview, Frisina shared her favourite three showcases during her time as Director: the 2023 Spring BSU Annual Fashion Show, History Professor Ke Ren's 2024 presentation of the Smithsonian Folkways artist No-No Boy, and the violin performance by John Gandelsman in the fall of 2024.
The Prior Center, which opened this semester, aims to promote "inclusive learning and research." Holy Cross students from the "Global" Montserrat Cluster collaborated with Rice Square Elementary School sixth-graders to create art reflecting Worcester's culturally rich identity.
The College expresses its sincerest gratitude to Kyle Frisina for her work and is excited to welcome Jeffrey de Caen to his new position. The Prior Performing Arts Center looks forward to continued growth and artistic excellence under de Caen's leadership.
- The new Director of the Prior Performing Arts Center, Jeffrey de Caen, will start his role at Holy Cross University on June 1, 2025.
- Kyle Frisina, the outgoing Interim Director of the center, has made notable strides in enhancing creative accessibility and fostering communication between the university and the Worcester community.
- De Caen has a career in the Performing Arts field as a costume designer, with notable contributions to theatre, opera, and related fields.
- Apart from his work in the Performing Arts, de Caen serves as the Associate Dean for operations at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and represents over 20,000 staff members as the President of the USC Staff Assembly.
- Holy Cross's Provost Visonsi has expressed confidence in De Caen's abilities and emphasized his dedication to fostering artistic excellence at the university.
- The 2024 Fall Concert, held at the Prior Performing Arts Center, featured students, faculty, and families, and was documented by Lizzie Swanson '28 in her role as News Editor.
- The Prior Center, recently opened on campus, focuses on "inclusive learning and research," with Holy Cross students collaborating with local elementary school students on arts projects that reflect Worcester's culturally rich identity.
