Eryn Bates Kemp, Executive Director, Harriman-Jewell Series (photo by Andrew Schwartz, veritography.com)
Eryn Bates Kemp, the former associate executive director for the Harriman-Jewell Series, has been named the Series’ executive director. Clark Morris, who was the executive and artistic director, remains the artistic director. The Series is going back to the co-leadership model that existed when Richard Harriman was artistic director and Morris was executive director. After Harriman’s death in 2010, Morris took on both roles.
Harriman was Morris’ mentor when he was a student at William Jewell College. Similarly, Bates Kemp was mentored by Dean Dunham, who cofounded the Series with Harriman in 1965. She caught Dunham’s attention when she was an undergraduate at Jewell. Dunham encouraged her to take part in the college’s Oxbridge Honors program, an opportunity for honors students to study in Oxford, England. The curriculum is a rigorous combination of research and one-on-one instruction in history and music.
“Dean recently told me, ‘Eryn, you’ve always made your own luck,’” Bates Kemp said. “And I’ll always remember that because I feel like I’ve had wonderful people in my life who have given me a lot of guidance, mentorship, support and encouragement. I put a lot of positive persistence into the rest of it.”
In addition to her highly qualified background in arts management, Bates Kemp is an accomplished and in-demand pianist and organist. She performs regularly, even though her new busy schedule has made her more selective when choosing projects.
“I do things that feed my soul, things that I really enjoy,” she said. “Before, I often felt like I had to say yes, but now I’m being really intentional about what I choose to do.”
But she says she makes a special effort to accept invitations to play the organ.
“I feel it’s such a rare skill, and I’m grateful to have received lots of support in that specific instrument,” she said. “I almost feel a responsibility to continue to play, so I try to play as often as I can.”
Musical activities aren’t the only thing keeping Bates Kemp busy. She is also the mother of two young children, daughter Mayve, 4, and son Westley, 2.
“Mayve was born during the pandemic,” Bates Kemp said. “Then things started to subside, but Omicron hit in 2021, and that’s when I had Westley, my pandemic-lite baby. As an arts professional and a performing musician with a husband, who is a scenic designer who often travels for work, the pandemic had a silver lining. We would not have had that time together as new parents if life didn’t slow down for us.”
But the slow times are over. The Harriman-Jewell Series is gearing up for its big 60th-anniversary season commencing this fall. Collaboration is the theme of the season, and Bates Kemp, who describes herself as a “collaborative pianist,” is excited for what’s ahead.
“I love the intricacy of connection,” she said. “I understand it, and it’s energizing to me to see a really wonderful pianist work with a really wonderful instrumentalist or singer. And we’re doing a lot of that, like pianist Emanuel Ax and clarinetist Anthony McGill (Jan. 31, 2025) and pianist Craig Terry, who is playing with Joyce DiDonato (Dec. 9).”
Bates Kemp’s charisma and sincere enthusiasm for the arts makes her a very effective fundraiser. Big-name stars like Itzhak Perlman and world-class orchestras like the Chicago Symphony don’t come cheap, so fundraising is a vital part of her job.
As she is about to embark on her first season as executive director, Bates Kemp says she is beyond excited about her new role.
“I think it’s interesting to come into a position that has only been held by men for the past 60 years,” she said. “It’s like what Ginger Rogers said about dancing with Fred Astaire. I’ll be doing what Richard and Clark did but backwards and in high heels. I think anyone who knows me will say I have a lot enthusiasm, a lot of energy and a lot of ideas. I think that combined with Clark’s consistent leadership means we have a really bright future ahead.”
For more information, hjseries.org.
–Patrick Neas
