She departed at the conclusion of the season to explore new opportunities to celebrate classic Broadway and the American songbook. A successor has yet to be named.
In a statement, Winer said, “Over nine seasons as Artistic Director of Lyrics & Lyricists—a mainstay of New York since its creation in 1970—it has been my privilege to work with the 92Y and steer the venerable series back to critical and audience acclaim, creating and writing original shows with an extraordinary array of guest collaborators from the cream of the Broadway musical theatre, from Sheldon Harnick and Kathleen Marshall to Rob Fisher and Ted Sperling.
“I look forward to my continued work with the musical theatre community on new projects to bring audiences ever-fresh visions of the American Songbook.”
Sheldon Harnick added, “It has always been a joy to work with Debbie in creating these shows. She brings a talent and vision that lead to work of exceptional caliber, and I look forward to creating more exciting projects with her in the future.”