Dallas Symphony Orchestra Announces Programming and Artists for Fifth Annual Women in Classical Music Symposium

DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES PROGRAMMING AND ARTISTS FOR FIFTH ANNUAL WOMEN IN CLASSICAL MUSIC SYMPOSIUM

November 12-15, 2023 | Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center | Dallas, Texas

DSO to Present Award of Excellence to Violinist Nicola Benedetti

Striking the Chords of Resilience: The Power of Music in Ukrainian Survival Stories
Opening Session to Feature Kirill Karabits, Conductor; Anna Korsun, Conductor, Sound Artist, Performer; Victoria Vito Polevá, Composer; Moderated by Kim Noltemy, DSO President & CEO

Additional Sessions Include:

Breaking the Sound Ceiling: Celebrating Women in Classical Music

Moving from Words to Action: Examples of Successful Allyship

Breaking the Mold: Exploring Female Entrepreneurship in Classical Music

Amplifying Voices: Composers as Curators and Influencers

Speakers, Sessions, Programming and Registration Available at womeninclassicalmusic.com

Dallas, Texas (July 18, 2023) – The Dallas Symphony Orchestra today announced programming, speakers and performances at its fifth annual Women in Classical Music Symposium. This year’s symposium will be held November 12-15, 2023, at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas. Administrators, educators, musicians and conductors from around the world will gather in conversation, panels and discussions. Support for the symposium is provided by The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts, The Kaleta A. Doolin Foundation, the Texas Women’s Foundation, Nancy Bierman, Yon Jorden, Betty Regard, Wei Ling Wang and Martha Wells. The Symposium is $150 for full registration, with day passes available for $75. Student registration is $50, and scholarships are available to assist in attendance. Registration is available on the DSO’s website.

The DSO’s Women in Classical Music Symposium is the only formal gathering to discuss issues specific to women in the field of classical music. Since its launch in 2019, the symposium has featured panel discussions and presentations from leading women in the industry, including conductors, composers, performers, educators and administrators. These individuals have shared their experiences on a range of topics from gender bias and discrimination to the importance of representation and diversity in classical music. The symposium has encouraged authenticity, vulnerability and sharing which is widely adopted by the speakers and attendees.

The central presentation at each Women in Classical Music Symposium is the Award of Excellence. This is presented to a woman in the field who has paved the way for others and is investing in the future of the industry. This year’s awardee is violinist Nicola Benedetti. GRAMMY® Award-winner, Festival Director of the Edinburgh International Festival and fervent champion of contemporary music, Benedetti makes education a core part of her artistry and career. In 2019, she established The Benedetti Foundation which delivers transformative experiences through mass music events and unites those who believe music is integral to life’s education. Led by Nicola and a team of exceptional musicians and educators from across the world, the Foundation provides equal access to music participation and appreciation for all. In its first three years, the Foundation has reached over 50,000 people, aged 2-92, from 103 countries.

Nicola Benedetti will be honored at the Tuesday, November 14 luncheon and will host a Fireside Chat at 3:00PM the same day.

As part of the symposium, the Award of Excellence honoree chooses a recipient for the Emerging Artist Award, which comes with a cash award. Nicola Benedetti has chosen Rachel Cooper, BA MSc. Cooper is a Violin Teacher dedicated to creating fun and meaningful ways to teach young people core technical and musical foundations. Since graduating with her Masters from the Royal College of Music in 2014, Rachel has built up a varied portfolio of teaching. Rachel is a trained Suzuki Violin teacher working as a Violin/Viola and Chamber Music Coach at Guildhall School of Music and Drama Junior Department, a Violin teacher for London based charity Music Masters and a Violin Coach/Lecturer for Nicola Benedetti’s education initiative: Benedetti Foundation. In January 2023, Rachel joined the faculty at Wells Cathedral School (specialist music school) as Junior String Coordinator where she has created a string program in the Pre-Prep school. Many of Rachel’s students go on to study at Junior Music Conservatoires in London. Rachel is also a Lecturer and Mentor on a number of Degree courses including a PGCEi course, which provides instruction to violinists in group instrumental teaching in association with Music Masters and Birmingham University. As well as this, Rachel is a Module leader on the European String Teaching Associations’ Masters Degree Program in Instrumental Teaching. Rachel also regularly delivers talks at conferences on Music Education philosophy and pedagogy. As well as her work across the UK, Rachel is also regularly invited to give masterclasses across Europe including Germany, Latvia, Denmark and Belgium and more recently further afield in China. Rachel is also Founder and Director of a summer school called VIVA Strings.

PANELS

Panels at the symposium will include topics such as normalizing diversity and representation in organizations and amplifying voices of unique and varying perspectives. This year there is a particular emphasis on the importance of allies and champions, shining a light on relationships that have endured through many years and organizational changes to be beneficial for both members. While all are invited to participate in the full symposium, allies and champions of women in classical music are specially invited to attend on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.

Striking the Chords of Resilience: The Power of Music in Ukrainian Survival Stories
Sunday, November 12, 2023 – 5:30PM

Kirill Karabits, Conductor
Anna Korsun, Conductor, Sound Artist, Performer
Victoria Vito Polevá, Composer
Moderator: Kim Noltemy, Ross Perot President & CEO, Dallas Symphony
With piano trio including Alexandra Adkins, violin; Christopher Adkins, cello

Breaking the Sound Ceiling: Celebrating Women in Classical Music
Monday, November 13, 2023 – 10:00AM

Kim Noltemy, Ross Perot President & CEO, Dallas Symphony
Afton Battle, VP for Artistic Operations, Lyric Opera Chicago
Shanta Thake, Chief Artistic Officer, Lincoln Center
Kathleen van Bergen, CEO and President John and Joanne Fisher Chair, Artis-Naples

Amplifying Voices: Composers as Curators and Influencers
Monday, November 13, 2023 – 11:30AM

Vanessa Reed, moderator
Kathryn Bostic, composer
Nia Imani Franklin, composer
Alison Loggins Hull, composer
Sophie Jani, DSO Composer-in-Residence
Moderator: Vanessa Reed, President & CEO, New Music USA

Conducting the Way: Exploring Career Pathways for Conductors
Monday, November 13, 2023 – 2:00PM (Winspear Opera House)

Tiffany Chang, conductor
Karin Henrickson, conductor
Natalie Murray Beale, conductor

Harmonizing Inclusion: Normalizing Diversity in Classical Music
Monday, November 13, 2023 – 3:30PM

Jennifer Arnold, Viola and Artistic Advisor, Virginia Symphony
Alecia Lawyer, Founder, Artistic Director, and Principal Oboist of ROCO
Rei Hotoda, conductor and Music Director, Fresno Philharmonic
Moderator: Glyne Griffith II, DSO Vice President of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Social Impact

Moving from Words to Action: Examples of Successful Allyship
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 – 1:30PM

Katie McGuinness, Wildenthal Families Vice President of Artistic Operations, Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Gary Ginstling, President & CEO of the New York Philharmonic
Alexa Smith, Senior Director, Anti-racism, Equity, and Belong, The Public Theater and Deborah Rutter, President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Zenetta Drew, Executive Director of Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Taylor Solice, Assistant to the Executive Director of Dallas Black Dance Theatre
Alyssa Wang, conductor, violinist, composer and Andrés Cárdenes, conductor, violinist, chamber musician, pedagogue

United in Progress: Moving Forward Together
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 – 5:30PM

Kim Noltemy, Ross Perot President & CEO, Dallas Symphony
Jorge Baldor, Founder, Latino Center for Leadership Development
Marianne Perron, Senior Director of the Artistic Sector, Montreal Symphony
Simon Woods, Presidente y Director General de la Liga de Orquestas Americanas

Breaking the Mold: Exploring Female Entrepreneurship in Classical Music
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 – 10:45AM

Rebecca Davis, Founder, Rebecca Davis Public Relations
Charlotte Lee, Founder and President, Primo Artists
Brianne Sargent, Violinist and Co-Leader, The Skinny Cooks
Moderator: Megan Heber, Professor of Practice, Arts Management and Nonprofit Leadership; Director Career Engagement and Outreach, Southern Methodist University

WORKSHOPS, DISCUSSIONS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

In addition to formal panels, the symposium will feature informal workshops and coffee hours for networking and connecting with colleagues. The fifth annual event has added 1:1 resume review sessions and an opportunity for professional headshots.

Coffee Hour: Let Your Heart Be Broken
Monday, November 13, 2023 – 9:00AM

Tina Davidson, composer and author of Let Your Heart Be Broken

Workshop: “Finding Your North Star: Navigating the Path to Mentorship”
Monday, November 13, 2023 – 11:30AM

Sonja Thoms, Executive Director, Wheeling Symphony
Paula Wilson, Marketing Coordinator, Equity Arc

Workshop: “Unlocking Your Potential: Maximizing Your Resume for Career Success”Monday, November 13, 2023 – 2:00PM

Megan Heber, Professor of Practice, Arts Management and Nonprofit Leadership; Director, Career Engagement and Outreach, Southern Methodist University
Sonja Thoms, Executive Director, Wheeling Symphony

Performance: America/Beautiful
Monday, November 13, 2023 – 5:30PM
Korean-born American pianist Min Kwon’s America/Beautiful is a commissioning project in which more than 70 composers have written individual variations for solo piano on the theme of America the Beautiful. Each interpretation offers a different vision of America during this critical moment, as filtered through the lens of America’s leading compositional voices across a broad spectrum of age, race, gender and personal experience.

Coffee Hour: Strategies for Paving Your Own Way and Leading Others to Success
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 – 9:00AM

Workshop: Unpacking Biases: Understanding and Overcoming Unconscious Bias
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 – 10:15AM

Lisa Swain, Executive Director of Member Services and Operations, Advisory Board for the Arts
Alejandra Valarino Boyer, Director of Steans Music Institute, Ravinia Festival

Coffee Hour: How Women Rise
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 – 9:00AM

Julie Duty, CEO, United Sound
Jennifer Guzmán, Director of Education, DSO

Complete schedule and panels are available at womeninclassicalmusic.com.