Ottawa Chamberfest Welcomes Cate Proctor as Executive Director

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OTTAWA, ON – Ottawa Chamberfest is delighted to announce the appointment of Cate Proctor as its new Executive Director – effective May 5, 2025.

A dynamic leader with a passion for arts sector growth and community engagement, Cate brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm in multidisciplinary arts management, consulting, and cultural policy advocacy to the Chamberfest team.

“Cate Proctor brings a rare blend of strategic insight, leadership, and deep experience in the arts sector to this role,” said Todd Saulnier, Chair of the Ottawa Chamber Music Society Board of Directors. “The Board is pleased to welcome her and looks forward to working together to advance our dynamic and enduring organization.”

Ottawa Chamberfest’s Artistic Director, Carissa Klopoushak, echoed the sentiment: “I’m truly looking forward to collaborating with Cate. She is widely respected across Canada’s arts community and brings thoughtful leadership, a deep passion for the arts, and integrity to support our team and our artists. I’m excited to co-lead an organization with Cate that is confidently focused on a bold artistic future.”

Cate’s professional journey spans senior roles in theatres, festivals, and cultural venues across Canada, intersecting with her work as principal consultant at Proctor Shift Consulting and an MBA. Her approach blends strategic insight with a strong commitment to sustainable, community-driven arts development. In 2020, Cate published Leverage the Arts Ecosystem to Influence Local Prosperity, a book that distills her cross-sectoral strategies into actionable tools for cultural and community leaders.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Ottawa Chamberfest, and to be working alongside Artistic Director Carissa Klopoushak and this dedicated team,” says Cate. “Chamberfest has a rich 30-year legacy of excellence in music programming, and I look forward to building on that momentum. I believe in deep, holistic partnerships—across donors, funders, arts organizations, the municipality, the business community, and beyond. I’m especially energized by Mayor Mark Sutcliffe’s goal to make Ottawa a ‘music city’ and see many exciting possibilities for Chamberfest to lead within that vision.”

Since relocating to Ottawa from the East Coast in 2016, Cate has contributed to a wide range of organizations including PAL Ottawa, Propeller Dance, Culture Outaouais, Orpheus Theatre, and the Ottawa Jazz Festival. As Managing Director of Ottawa Little Theatre (2016–2018), she led a successful rebranding and facility upgrade, initiated a community garden in partnership with The Ottawa Mission, and helped increase revenue through strengthened fundraising and engagement strategies.

Cate has also held leadership roles at the East Coast Music Awards and The Guild in Charlottetown, PEI. More recently, she supported the formation of Arts Ottawa – a merger of the region’s two main arts councils – and served as the inaugural co-chair of Mass Culture’s Research Working Group until 2024.

An advocate for knowledge-sharing and sector collaboration, Cate presents at both regional and national forums including Town of Wellington North, SPARC, CAPACOA, and the University of Ottawa. She continues to support cultural organizations and communities across the country through both in-person and online platforms.

Cate Proctor succeeds Mhiran Faraday as Executive Director following Mhiran’s departure in December 2024. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mhiran for her years of dedicated service, her resilient leadership through challenging times, and for guiding us through our 30th anniversary. We wish her all the best in her new role as the inaugural Director of Events and Partnerships at the Victoria Conservatory of Music.

About Ottawa Chamberfest:

For over three decades, Ottawa Chamberfest has been committed to delivering live music performances and programs that are high-quality experiences. The festival has grown from a small summer happening to a year-round arts organization. Today, the three pillars of Chamberfest are our summer festival, our popular concert series, and our wealth of community engagement and education programming. We think of our community as a valued stakeholder. We consider sustainability in everything we do. We recognize the importance of accessibility to our audience. We know that our future is deeply enriched by and connected to the lives of creators, artists, consumers, and life-long learners. Ottawa Chamberfest is a 2020 Festival & Events Ontario (FEO) “Top 100” event and was named Ottawa Tourism’s “Event of the Year” in 2019.