Segerstrom’s new VP of programming aims to expand the center’s artistic scope, deepen community ties and build on its legacy.
When Limor Tomer stepped into her new role as vice president of programming and production at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in January, she brought with her a reputation for reimagining the boundaries of live performance. Known for her bold, interdisciplinary approach to curation – one that seamlessly blends contemporary performance, site-specific works and unexpected collaborations – Tomer arrives in Orange County at a pivotal moment. As Segerstrom charts a future without longtime artistic leader Judy Morr, who retired last year, Tomer’s arrival signals the start of an ambitious new chapter for one of Southern California’s premier arts institutions.
“For me, it's more about amplifying certain activities and voices and maybe series that have actually been taking place but have not been so visible,” Tomer said. “Meet people where they are and provide a gathering space for cultural sharing, opinions and experiences.”
For decades, Segerstrom has played host to some of the world’s most celebrated touring Broadway shows and dance companies. However, Tomer’s background suggests that under her leadership, the center’s programming may expand beyond the conventional touring circuit. A Juilliard-trained pianist with an avant-garde sensibility, she has spent much of her career not just presenting work but producing it – developing ambitious, cross-disciplinary performances that challenge and engage audiences in unexpected ways.
Her tenure as general manager of Live Arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is a case in point. There, she transformed the museum’s performing arts program from a series of traditional concerts into an internationally recognized incubator for experimental performance. She curated performances in unexpected spaces – such as a haunting site-specific concert by Philip Glass and violinist Tim Fain inside the Temple of Dendur – situating live art in direct conversation with the museum’s vast collections. She also pioneered artist-led gallery tours, inviting choreographers and musicians to interpret the museum’s holdings in ways that blurred the line between performance and exhibition.
When asked to compare the venues of the Met and her new post at Segerstrom, Tomer said, “To me, it's not about real estate. It's about intentionality. It’s more about what are the goals?”
Though Segerstrom is a performing arts venue and the only formal performance venue at The Met is The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, a 708-seat concert hall, Tomer sees parallels. The center’s soaring architecture and multiple performance spaces – ranging from the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall to the more intimate Samueli Theater and Judy Morr Theater – offer a variety of settings that she hopes to activate in new and surprising ways.
“I think of it as inviting this so-called ‘main stage’ to go outdoors and inviting the education programming to be ‘main stage’ in the sense that it is without distinction or for this particular kind of audience.”
Casey Reitz, Segerstrom’s president, expressed enthusiasm for Tomer’s appointment. “We still wanted dance to be a huge component of who we are and our identity,” Reitz said. “And we wanted a programmer that understood that and appreciated that and could deliver on that. And that was a real huge reason why we went with Limor.”
Reitz also reflected on the legacy of Morr, whom he described as “legendary.” He noted, “The number of times I’ve heard or said ‘the legendary Judy Morr,’ I can’t even begin to count. She is a huge reason why the arts are alive and vibrant in Orange County.”
Reitz emphasized that while Segerstrom was not looking to replicate Morr’s tenure, it was crucial to find someone who could honor the legacy she built. “We knew Judy was one of a kind. We weren’t expecting to find another Judy, but we wanted someone who understood the importance of dance to this organization and could build on that.”
Tomer’s work at The Met was just one chapter in a career defined by pushing artistic boundaries. Before joining the museum world, she served as executive producer for Music at WNYC and WQXR, where she launched the digital contemporary music station Q2 and produced programs that explored the intersection of music and social history, such as the award-winning “A Beautiful Symphony of Brotherhood,” which examined the musical legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Prior to that, she played a key role at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), where she helped create BAMcafé, an informal performance space designed to draw in new and younger audiences.
Now in Orange County, Tomer finds herself in a new cultural landscape – one that is distinctly different from New York’s, but full of possibility.
When asked about her first impressions of Southern California, she laughed. “I'm trying to sort of marinate myself in Orange County.”
She described her approach as attending events like the Laguna Beach Art Walk, visiting museums, going to performances, frequenting movie theaters in different cities, dropping into yoga classes around the county, and generally exploring different communities to gain a deeper understanding of the area’s cultural ecosystem.
As she settles into her new role, Tomer remains focused on what she does best: crafting experiences that challenge, delight and surprise. If her past work is any indication, Segerstrom audiences can expect an era of programming that looks beyond the expected, an artistic vision that values not just presentation but participation.
“I tend to privilege curiosity over age,” Tomer said. She likes to think of this metric instead of the traditional demographic descriptors. “Curiosity does not have an expiration date.”
