Deborah Rutter (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Todd Rosenberg Photography)

The Kennedy Center today named Deborah F. Rutter as its third president, who will take over for Michael Kaiser when he steps down next year.

Rutter, the current president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, will become the D.C. art institution’s first female president in September 2014. Kaiser announced his intention to leave his contract early in November and join the University of Maryland.

As CSOA president, Rutter oversees the operations of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Center Presents, the Institute for Learning, Access and Training (including the Civic Orchestra of Chicago) and the Chicago Symphony Chorus. The management of the magnificent Symphony Center facility also is under her direction.

The appointment of the legendary conductor Maestro Riccardo Muti as the Orchestra’s 10th music director and renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma as the first Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant are two of the key highlights demonstrative of Rutter’s leadership. In collaboration, they have ushered in a new era of exceptional artistry and unprecedented musical outreach by the CSOA.

“The Kennedy Center is fortunate to have found in Deborah an individual with an undeniable passion for and knowledge of the performing arts; a long, well-respected track record of managing and enhancing performing arts organizations; and a commitment to making the performing arts accessible and appealing to people of all ages and backgrounds,” Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein said in a statement. “I applaud Michael Kaiser for his 13 years of leadership and look forward to watching Deborah bring her unique experiences and interests to this position.”

Yo-Yo Ma said Rutter “has a vision for the role of the performing arts in society that closely mirrors John F. Kennedy’s words: ‘The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is close to the center of a nation’s purpose—and is a test to the quality of a nation’s civilization.’”

Update: DCist contributor Sriram Gopal, who was at today’s announcement, relays how Rutter replied when asked about her impression of D.C.

“You’re a bunch of wimps. It’s not snowing.”