The Clemson University College of Arts and Humanities has announced the appointment of Catherine Hughes as the new Executive Director of the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts. A passionate educator, arts administrator and music historian, Hughes brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to community engagement. Hughes will assume the role of Executive Director on August 14, 2025.
“I was heartened to see that the national search we conducted for the new Executive Director yielded dozens of highly qualified candidates who showed tremendous interest in the position,” said Dean Nicholas Vazsonyi. “Catherine Hughes stood out as someone who brings a combination of advanced education, experience with community and donors, and a set of perspectives that we have not yet had at the Brooks Center. My hope is that Catherine, together with the exceptional team we already have in place, will prove to be a pathbreaking combination.”
Before joining Clemson, Hughes was the Director of Education and Community Engagement at Palm Beach Opera in West Palm Beach, Florida, where she developed programs that reached over 19,000 people. Her flagship initiative, the Opera Immersion Program, empowered elementary students to write, produce and perform original operas in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County. Hughes’ endeavor was the most extensive education program in the company’s history.
She also launched a series of adult education events in collaboration with public libraries throughout southeast Florida. These programs featured guest speakers and leading scholars in opera studies, theatre, literature and music theory.
“I am thrilled to be joining the team at the Brooks Center,” said Hughes. “The rich history of the center’s contributions to student life on campus and to the surrounding community is an example for universities across the United States. The possibilities for inspiring creative thinking about the ways performing arts can help us make sense of the world and transcend disciplines inspire my work as an arts administrator, as a teacher and as a music historian.”
Hughes holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in musicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a B.A. in music and French from the College of the Holy Cross. She has been published internationally and presented widely on topics including chamber music, opera and music history pedagogy. Before her work at Palm Beach Opera, she taught music history, world music and music theory at Saint Joseph’s University and West Chester University.
“I look forward to working closely with faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members to continue the Brooks Center’s history of vibrant programming in music, theatre and dance,” Hughes said.
About the Brooks Center
Established in 1994, the Brooks Center has been Clemson’s performing arts hub for three decades. This 87,000-square-foot facility serves as a professional roadhouse, hosting world-class professional music, theatre and dance performances throughout the academic year in its spacious, yet intimate, 979-seat proscenium auditorium. In addition to professional productions, the Brooks Center is also home to the Department of Performing Arts, offering a dynamic, hands-on undergraduate experience and a Master of Music Education program designed to advance the careers of working educators.
Tickets for the Brooks Center’s upcoming season go on sale Wednesday, August 6, at 1 p.m. For more information about the Brooks Center’s upcoming season, visit clemson.edu/brooks.
