Dallas Symphony Orchestra Announces 2024 Women in Classical Music Symposium
November 3-6, 2024
2024 Symposium features panels on AI in music, music of indigenous peoples and more
Acclaimed conductor JoAnn Falletta will receive the Award of Excellence
DALLAS, TEXAS (April 2, 2024) – The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) announces programming for the sixth annual Women in Classical Music Symposium, to be held November 3-6, 2024, at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Support for the symposium is provided by The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts, The Every Page Foundation, Yon Jorden, Betty Regard, Wei Ling Wang and Martha Wells. Full registration for the Symposium is $130 or $50 for students, and scholarships are available to assist in attendance. New this year, a single-day pass will be available for $50 and $25 for students. More information can be found at WomenInClassicalMusic.com.
“I am incredibly proud of the impact that the Women in Classical Music Symposium has had over the past five years. The Symposium provides a platform for women in our industry to share their experiences and perspectives, with the goal of continuing to strive for positive change,” said Kim Noltemy, Ross Perot President & CEO of the Dallas Symphony. “We have put together a fantastic group of panelists and topics for the 2024 Symposium, and we look forward to welcoming everyone to the Meyerson for four days of energizing and inspirational discussion among friends and colleagues.”
The 2024 Symposium kicks off with a thrilling concert by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra that highlights several distinguished women in classical music. Esteemed conductor Anu Tali will lead the orchestra in performances of contemporary Estonian composer Alisson Kruusmaa’s “Five Arabesques” and Amy Beach’s Piano Concerto, with Bravo! Vail Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott taking center stage. Amy Beach (1867-1944) is widely considered to be the first American woman to achieve success as an orchestral composer. The program concludes with Elgar’s beloved “Enigma Variations” This concert is presented by Chanel, the Presenting Sponsor of the 2024 Women in Classical Music Concert Series.
Programming at this year’s Symposium will focus on a range of timely and relevant topics such as the implementation of AI in music; the experiences of women in administrative and artistic leadership positions; how industry leaders are programming concerts with the future in mind; exploration of the music of indigenous peoples; how the classical music can challenge genre boundaries and promote diversification; as well as discussions specific to women conductors and women in artist management roles.
The 2024 Symposium will welcome an array of noteworthy panelists, including Katie Backus (Concert Artists Guild), Christina Baker (Young Concert Artists), Katherine Carleton (Orchestra Canada), Michelle di Russo (Fort Worth Symphony), JoAnn Falletta, Katie McGuiness (DSO), Melissa Ngan (American Composers Orchestra), Kim Noltemy, Shira Samuels-Shragg (DSO), Mark Williams (Toronto Symphony) and Susan Zhang (Concert Truck).
The central presentation at each Women in Classical Music Symposium is the Award of Excellence, which recognizes a woman in the field who has paved the way for others and is investing in the future of the industry. This year’s honoree is multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta, who will return to Dallas in March 2025 to lead the DSO and the Dallas Symphony Chorus in concerts during the American Choral Director’s Conference. Falletta serves as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Music Director Laureate of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Brevard Music Center, and Conductor Laureate of the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. As Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, Falletta became the first woman to lead a major American orchestra and has been credited with bringing the BPO to an unprecedented level of national and international prominence. She has conducted some of the world’s greatest orchestras throughout her career, but her leadership extends well beyond the podium. Falletta has been championing women conductors, composers and musicians for decades.
Falletta has chosen her colleague and mentee, Fernanda Lastra to receive the Career Advancement Award. Lastra has served as assistant conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra since 2022 under Falletta’s mentorship. As a passionate and creative conductor, she is interested in a wide variety of repertoire, including symphonic, contemporary and operatic works. As part of her role as BPO’s assistant conductor, Lastra also serves as a member of the artistic team, music education committee and Diversity Council, among other responsibilities. Lastra is a passionate advocate for Latin American composers – especially those from her native Argentina.
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.
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About the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of Music Director Fabio Luisi, presents more than 150 orchestra concerts annually at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, one of the world’s top-rated concert halls. As the largest performing arts organization in the Southwest, the DSO is committed to inspiring the broadest possible audience with distinctive classical programs, inventive pops concerts and innovative multi-media presentations. As part of its commitment to the community, the orchestra reaches hundreds of thousands of adults and children annually through performances, educational programs and community outreach initiatives. The orchestra also offers more than 200 concerts in neighborhoods throughout Dallas each year, as well as music lessons to more than 1200 students as part of its Young Strings and Kim Noltemy Young Musicians programs. The DSO has a tradition dating back to 1900 and is a cornerstone of the unique, 118-acre Arts District in Downtown Dallas that is home to multiple performing arts venues, museums and parks – the largest district of its kind in the nation. The DSO is supported, in part, by funds from the Office of Arts & Culture, City of Dallas. Visit DallasSymphony.org for more information.
Media Contact:
Chelsey Norris, Director of Communications
c.norris@dalsym.com
214.871.4063