Kacergis Announced as Seraphic Fire's New Managing Director

eSraphic Fire announced that Matthew Kacergis has been appointed Managing Director, a role he has held on an interim basis since January 2023. The Managing Director is the administrative leader for the professional ensemble, overseeing day-to-day operations and strategic planning in collaboration with Founding Artistic Director Patrick Dupre Quigley and Board Chair Diane Devries Ashley.

“The Board is delighted to welcome Matthew to a permanent leadership role," said Ms. Ashley. "He has been an excellent interim leader, and we are all looking forward to exciting new projects, including some new touring opportunities.”

Kacergis came to Seraphic Fire as part of a consulting team from the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland. While at the Institute, he co-authored dozens of strategic plans for major performing arts centers, professional theatres, museums, state cultural agencies, and other arts nonprofits. His portfolio also included curating and producing live performances, executive search, and one-on-one coaching for cultural executives. He has served on the leadership team for the Great Lakes Center for the Arts since 2019 and will become its next Artistic Director in August of 2024, curating a robust summer season of performing arts events in addition to his leadership responsibilities at Seraphic Fire.

“When Matthew joined us on an interim basis in February 2022, our artists, staff, and board recognized immediately that we had found both a meticulous leader and a devoted fan of Seraphic Fire,” says Seraphic Fire Founder and Artistic Director Patrick Dupre Quigley. “Matthew’s boundless energy and enthusiasm inspire us all.”  

No stranger to South Florida, Kacergis has served YoungArts (of which he is an alumnus) in several capacities for 15 years. He was part of the team that brought the Miami City Ballet’s Nutcracker outdoors to Downtown Doral Park in December of 2020, the nation’s only full-length presentation of Balanchine’s beloved holiday tradition that year. A professional actor and vocalist, he’s performed on stages throughout the country, including the Wick Theatre in Boca Raton. While on tour with Disney’s The Little Mermaid, he played the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. 

“As a professional vocalist and beneficiary of a strong choral education, it’s a great honor to collaborate with Patrick and these remarkable artists,” said Kacergis. “I believe my experience as a performing arts presenter will be very valuable as we seek to grow Seraphic’s national reputation through touring and special collaborations. Despite these aspirations to share Seraphic’s artistry with the world, we remain just as committed to reaching further into the South Florida communities that have given us a wonderful home for two decades.”