LOS ANGELES-The Music Center is pleased to announce the appointments of Craig Ellis, Linda Joyce Hodge, and Rica Orszag to its Board of Directors (biographies).

"These three individuals bring with them a caliber of professionalism and leadership that supports and enriches the mission of the Center and adds to the strength of our already exceptional board of community and business leaders," states Music Center Chairman John Emerson. "Their diverse perspectives and roles in Los Angeles will enrich all that we do at the Center."

The Music Center of Los Angeles County is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the nation and one of Southern California's premier cultural destinations, welcoming over 1.3 million visitors annually. Centrally located in downtown Los Angeles along Grand Avenue, the Music Center is comprised of four venues - Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theater and Mark Taper Forum - as well as outdoor theaters, plazas, and gardens - and is home to four internationally acclaimed resident companies: The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Center Theater Group, LA Opera and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Additionally, the Music Center offers the largest presentation of dance in Los Angeles, a tour program, participatory arts activities, exciting programming for children and families throughout the year and its school education programs are nationally recognized.

Craig Ellis is the Partner in Charge of Tax Services at KPMG LLP's Pacific Southwest Business Unit headquartered in Los Angeles. In addition to leading the tax practice, he is responsible for working with multinational organizations, advising clients on many matters including complex accounting for income tax and related SOX 404 issues, mergers and acquisitions, public and private equity and debt offerings, research credit studies, representation before taxing authorities, and multi-state and cross-border tax planning. Mr. Ellis is a certified public accountant, and serves as Co-Chair of the Music Center's Audit Committee. He has been involved in various community and church boards and committees while residing in Miami and Connecticut. Mr. Ellis serves as a Trustee for the California Science Center. He and his wife, MegAnn, now reside in Pasadena with their two children. The family enjoys a variety of activities including golf and equestrian sports.

Linda Joyce Hodge served as Associate General Counsel at Amgen, Inc. and as President of the Amgen Foundation until her retirement in 2000. She began her legal career as a law clerk for the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, after completing her undergraduate degree at Harvard College and graduating from Harvard Law School. Prior to joining Amgen, Ms. Hodge was an associate at Brobeck, Phleger, et al. in San Francisco, and at Goodwin, Procter & Hoar in Boston. Ms. Hodge is a long-time supporter of a wide variety of civic and cultural organizations in Southern and Northern California. She is currently an active member of the Board of Trustees of the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, serving on several key committees, including her past position as chair of the Hospital's Saban Research Institute Committee. Linda Hodge has been a major supporter of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association since 2001, with a particular interest in the Association's educational programs. Ms. Hodge's great love of music is reflected in her avid attendance at three Walt Disney Concert Hall series and her active participation in special events such as the Orchestra's Patrons Tour to Paris in 2005. Ms. Hodge is also a supporter of the Music Center, the Ojai Music Festival, San Francisco Opera, and the Girls' Chorus of San Francisco.

Rica Orszag runs a Los Angeles-based public relations and marketing firm, which she founded in January 2005. Her clients have included the Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Foundation, the United Nations Foundation, and the Sundance Channel. Previously, Ms.Orszag served as a Vice President of Washington, DC-based SDI PR, the Executive Director of the Wasserman Foundation, Vice President of External Affairs for Wasserman Sports, Inc., the Director of Lyn and Norman Lear's family foundation, the Manager of Government Relations for The Walt Disney Company, and Vice President of Disney's Political Action Committee. From 1993 to 1997, she served in The White House Press Office as President Clinton's Radio Director. In addition to serving in The White House, she has been active in Democratic politics for over a decade. Ms.Orszag is a magna cum laude graduate from UCLA, where she received her degree in Mass Communications and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.