An aspect about which I am passionate is social justice and in particular, its place in professional arts organizations and in academia, the dual contexts within which I have made my career. As a conductor I strive to be a role model for quality and innovative orchestral programming, particularly with respect to racial and gender representation. These principals underpin the rationale for the 1874 Project which will see the commissioning of works by six female composers in an effort to expand the orchestral canon.
I am also an enthusiastic advocate for aspiring women conductors and seek to be an exemplar for those seeking to pursue a professional and/or collegiate career. As I have progressed on my career journey I have become increasingly aware of the additional challenges with which female conductors are often faced. Unconscious bias is an ongoing challenge to navigate as stereotypes of leaders remain overwhelmingly male, and with women subject to double standards, harsher judgements and extreme scrutiny in a way our male colleagues are not. Indeed, my passion for working to raise awareness of these issues stems directly from the hurdles I have had to overcome in my academic career. As my career has progressed, the challenges with which I have been faced have become increasingly significant, a common problem for female leaders.
This could not be more clearly evidenced than via recent events I have had to navigate at the University of Illinois where I am the first female head of a major instrumental program and where unfortunately, I have experienced extreme opposition to my very presence as a woman in an environment where hitherto, there have been none. Such a scenario is not an isolated phenomenon in that there is often a backlash to a woman holding a prominent leadership position for the first time. By way of comparison, Maestro Marin Alsop similarly faced extreme opposition from musicians to her appointment when named Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2005 as the first woman to lead a major American symphony orchestra.
Via my own research and scholarship, and within the professional organizations in which I am active – the College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA) and the Conductor’s Guild – I have sought to raise awareness and highlight issues which pertain to women conductors, as well as establish avenues for ongoing dialogue, support, education, and advocacy. One such example is WAIOC, the Women and Allies Initiative of the College Orchestra Directors Association of which I am a founder. I have also enjoyed roles as a mentor for Girls Who Conduct and the Women’s Artistic Leadership Initiative.
Being in a leadership position always entails responsibility and vision for something much bigger than oneself. My intention in working to continue to raise awareness of the challenges with which women conductors are faced has a simple goal which is to improve the path and make easier the journey for those that follow me. To be in a position and able to do so is a great honor and a privilege, however I feel that it too comes with this great duty of care and responsibility.
Resources for Women Conductors:
International and UK
National Concert Hall Female Conductor Program
Women Conductors with the Royal Philharmonic Society
Glover-Edwards Conducting Programme
International Conductor’s Guild: Women Conductor Group
United States:
Dallas Opera Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors
Dallas Symphony Women in Classical Music Symposium
Women’s Artistic leadership Initiative
College Orchestra Directors Association
New York Conducting Institute Women’s Conducting Masterclass
Australia:
Perth Symphony Orchestra Women on the Podium
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Louise Crossley Conducting Workshop