New board member Tom Strickler will help the chorale expand access. (photo courtesy of Los Angeles Master Chorale)

The Los Angeles Master Chorale has appointed Tom Strickler to its board of directors.

The board, chaired by Philip A. Swan, provides leadership in carrying out the Master Chorale’s mission to share choral music with the widest possible audience.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tom Strickler to the Master Chorale’s board or directors,” Swan said. “Tom is a pioneer in the worlds of entertainment and education, and his guidance will be invaluable, especially during this critical time of planning our post-pandemic future.”

Strickler is co-founder of Endeavor, the largest talent and literary agency in the world. While at Endeavor from 1995–2009, Strickler led the motion picture department and served on the Endeavor management committee, during which time the firm grew from four to 800 employees, earning over $300 million annually in revenue. Prior to founding Endeavor, Strickler was an agent at the firms CAA, InterTalent and ICM.

“Tom’s extensive experience and lifelong love of choral music make him ideally suited to help the Master Chorale realize its vision of increasing access to the choral art form,” Los Angeles Master Chorale president and CEO Jean Davidson said. “Tom’s valuable perspective complements the skills and experiences of our board of directors, and those of the entire organization.”

Upon his retirement from Endeavor in 2011, Strickler founded Extera Public Schools in East Los Angeles to address detrimental effects on disadvantaged students. Currently, the schools serve 1,000 students in Boyle Heights and are among the highest performing elementary schools in East Los Angeles.

Strickler also currently serves on the boards of the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and SCI-Arc.

For information, visit lamasterchorale.org.