George Steel (musician)

George Steel has been executive director of Miller Theatre, the performing arts producer of Columbia University since 1997. As executive director, Steel has earned a national reputation for innovative programming and audience building.

In the 2004-2005 season, Steel received the ASCAP-Chamber Music America (CMA) Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music. Previously he was awarded the 2003 Trailblazer Award from the American Music Center, [http://www.amc.net/about/pressreleases/2008-03-04%20Annual%20Awards%20Press%20Release.pdf] the 2003 ASCAP Concert Music Award, [ [http://www.ascap.com/playback/2003/fall/concertaward.html 2003 Concert Music Awards ] ] and the 2001-2002 ASCAP-CMA Award for Adventurous Programming.

New York Magazine named George Steel one of the most influential people in New York in its 2006 “Influentials” issue, [ [http://nymag.com/news/features/influentials/16903/ The Most Influential People in Classical and Dance - New York Magazine ] ] and recognized his programming in its 2005 “Cultural Elite” issue, listing Miller Theatre as having the “Best Music Programming before 1800 or after 1990” and the “Best Night at the Ballet.” [ [http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/cultureawards/15296/ The Best in Classical and Dance - New York Magazine Culture Awards 2005 ] ] The Village Voice dubbed Steel a “programming superhero,” [ [http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/bestof/2001/detail.php?id=3025 Village Voice: Best of NY 2001 ] ] and Time Out New York has called him the “impresario-of-the-improbable.”

George Steel is also highly regarded as a conductor of music, having led performances at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Caramoor, and Miller Theatre. Steel is the founder of groups dedicated to Renaissance vocal polyphony (Vox Vocal Ensemble), Baroque period-instrument performance (Gotham City Baroque Orchestra), and works of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries (Gotham City Orchestra and Sinfonietta).

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