Julia Aubrey, new director of the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, brings experience and a focused vision to the University of Mississippi’s premier performance venue.

Aubrey served as interim director of the Ford Center since September 2015 and held numerous positions in the university’s Department of Music over the last 21 years, including director of opera theatre and studio voice, assistant chair and associate professor of vocal and opera literature courses. She will continue to serve as director of opera theatre.

She plans to collaborate with the university and surrounding community to expand the mission of the Ford Center and engage students, residents and their families. Aubrey said she believes the Ford Center can be a producer as well as a presenter, incubating projects that will establish it as a regional arts leader.

“Oxford is such an exceptional place and there’s such a variety of interests,” she said. “We want to tap into that. We want more people to experience this wonderful venue.”

The St. Louis native is part of a musical Ole Miss family. Her husband, Robert, is an instructional assistant professor of music at UM, and her son, Michael, graduated with a double major in international studies and Spanish from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Croft Institute for International Studies.

The university community expressed excitement that Aubrey has been named permanent director.

“Julia Aubrey has many years of experience in the arts at a variety of levels: community, university and through national and international organizations,” said Rene Pulliam, interim chair of the Department of Theatre Arts. “She has a vision for the Ford Center to be a catalyst using the arts to bridge the gap between the university and the Oxford-Lafayette community.”

For a full schedule of Ford Center events, visit http://www.fordcenter.org.