FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014
suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
Changing the Face of Classical Music
The Dallas Opera Hart Institute
For Women Conductors
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Celebrating 5 Years of Transformational Success
OCTOBER 27 – NOVEMBER 9, 2019
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Outstanding New Faculty include: Ana De Archuleta,
Elizabeth Buccheri, Rona Eastwood, Julia Lagahuzère,
Sophie Joyce, Lee Anne Myslewski, and Dmitry Vdovin
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In Partnership with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s
Women in Classical Music Symposium
DALLAS, OCTOBER 9, 2019 – The Dallas Opera is preparing to host twelve distinguished professionals (six conductors, three administrators, and three American Observers) selected to participate in the fifth annual residency of the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera taking place Oct. 27 – Nov. 9, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. The six conductors are:
- Tiffany Chang (USA)
- Jane Kim (USA) a 2019 Hart Institute Observer replacing Jiannen Cheng of China, who experienced delays in obtaining a U.S. visa.
- Tamara Dworetz (USA)
- Marta Kluczyńska (Poland)
- Madeline Tsai (Taiwan)
- Molly Turner (USA)
Seeking to address a long-standing issue of gender-imbalance at the podium, The Dallas Opera in 2015 launched a unique multifaceted program—one of a handful in the world—designed to provide training and career support for distinctively talented women conductors on the cusp of major international careers.
“I was beyond thrilled to hear of my acceptance to the 2019 Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute” wrote U.S. participant Tamara Dworetz. “The opportunity to learn from world-class conductors, instrumentalists, opera singers and leaders will strengthen my skills and broaden my dimensionalism as a conductor while bolstering my career and professional network; I cannot thank Linda and Mitch Hart and The Dallas Opera enough for initiating and supporting this progressive and powerfully impactful program.”
Ian Derrer, The Dallas Opera’s Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO explains: “Providing career advancement opportunities makes it possible for these talented women to compete for top-level positions in classical music. This is one of the most important contributions we could make to this art form, and it will be needed for years to come. After five years, the support and passion of the TDO Family burns brighter than ever.”
A total of 90 women conductors and professional musicians heeded the call in 2019, despite even more stringent admissions requirements initiated last year. Applicants from 27 countries included music directors, principal and assistant conductors, concertmasters and music staff from top-ranked symphonies, opera companies, and conservatories.
“Even for the most talented artists, a journey to the forefront of the conducting profession is difficult, and particularly so for women,” wrote Taiwanese conductor Madeline Tsai. “The Dallas Opera’s Linda and Mitch Hart Institute gives its residents a strong gust of wind forward as they sail toward their dreams on the horizon.
“I am immensely grateful and honored for this incredible opportunity to learn from an amazing faculty and other talented artists at the Institute.”
As is the case each year, talented U.S. Observers were chosen to audit the 2019 Institute: Rebecca Henry, Sarah Klein and Rachel Waddell.
Reserved seating for the 2019 Hart Institute Showcase Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9, 2019 is available for $25 or $50 per person (depending on the section) and can be purchased through The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000 or by visiting dallasopera.org/harttickets.
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The Dallas Opera Hart Institute in 2019 will consist of hands-on master classes with the Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director, Emmanuel Villaume; TDO’s Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement and Carlo Montanaro, a renowned Italian conductor. Returning faculty include a variety of industry leaders and members of The Dallas Opera Senior Staff.
Sessions include career advancement seminars; topical industry discussions; intensive one-on-ones and a variety of networking opportunities.
American conductor Molly Turner noted: “As a young conductor, getting into the Hart Institute opens so many doors traditionally left open only for older and often male conductors.”
“I’m humbled to have such a dedicated opportunity to focus on a genre and repertoire that are least familiar to me and to engage artistically with the excellent musicians and administration of The Dallas Opera” added US conductor Tiffany Chang.
NEW HART FACULTY IN 2019:
Ana De Archuleta is president and CEO of ADA Artist Management and has quickly established herself as one of the most sought-after managers in the operatic field, representing a thriving roster of vocalists, conductors and directors worldwide.
Elizabeth Askren, Franco-American conductor, has guest conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris.
Elizabeth Buccheri, chamber musician and vocal coach, was assistant conductor of Lyric Opera of Chicago from 1987 to 2013. A dedicated teacher, Ms. Buccheri has given master classes at The Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, AMFS, Lawrence Conservatory, and the music academies of Lithuania and Latvia.
Lisa Bury, Chief Advancement and Strategy Officer for The Dallas Opera, previously served in senior positions at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Florida Grand Opera.
Rona Eastwood is Senior Associate Director of Conductors at Askonas Holt. The move across to artist management followed, initially assisting Martin Campbell-White with conductors and occasional touring projects. She has remained with the company ever since, ultimately building an independent list of artists.
Sophie Joyce is the Director of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, the Metropolitan Opera’s elite program for leading young singers on the cusp of international opera careers.
Julia Lagahuzère is the General Director of “Opera for Peace” and former Deputy Casting Director for Opéra National de Paris in the two theatres of Opéra de Bastille and Palais Garnier. She is also artistic consultant to the Queen Sonja International Music Competition in Oslo, Norway.
Charlotte Lee is the President and Founder of Primo Artists, a boutique classical music agency in New York.
Thomas Maddrey is the founding partner and lead attorney for Maddrey PLLC, a boutique firm dedicated to art law and creative business law.
Lee Anne Myslewski oversees all aspects of Wolf Trap Opera, an artist-centric program whose alumni are singing in every opera house in the nation and in the most prestigious houses in the world and also serves as the executive producer and co-host of Center Stage from Wolf Trap, a nationally-syndicated radio program.
Paolo Petrocelli serves as the Cultural and Music Diplomacy Officer for the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates and has become a leading member of some of the most prestigious international organizations, including the United Nations, UNESCO, and the World Economic Forum. He also acts as Director of Institutional Relations and International Affairs for UNESCO’S “Opera for Peace.”
Stephanie Rhodes Russell, a renowned opera collaborator, is a Conducting Fellow with the Fort Worth Symphony and Associate Conductor for the Grand Teton Music Festival.
Jennifer Spencer is currently working alongside Ivan Fischer on the artistic and touring planning for the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and (in October 2017) she created a small conductor roster which she operates in conjunction with IMG Artists Ltd from London.
Beth Stewart is the founder of Verismo Communications, a classical music PR firm that prizes authenticity over plasticity, creates space and opportunity in clients’ lives, and operates with unswerving integrity.
Dmitry Vdovin is founder and artistic director of the Bolshoi Theatre Young Artist Program. He is also the Artistic Director of UNESCO’S “Opera for Peace” initiative.
Jenna Wolf, Development and Communications Consultant for “Opera for Peace – Leading Young Voices of the World” as well as the PR and Marketing Director for Lenny’s Studio, New York, New York.
This year’s Hart Institute for Women Conductors is also partnering with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s inaugural “Women in Classical Music Symposium” taking place November 6-9, 2019 in the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, in order to provide even greater resources and connections for women in the field.
“I am delighted to work alongside our colleagues at The Dallas Opera as the Dallas Symphony launches its Women in Classical Music Symposium. The Hart Institute has established itself as an important event for women conductors, and their input while designing the symposium has been invaluable,” said Kim Noltemy, President & CEO of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. “Together, we are showing that the Dallas performing arts community is committing to a sustained effort to make changes in the industry.”
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“The Hart Institute has and will continue to transform the field, with alumnae being singled out for important appointments, projects, and commissions in both the opera and symphonic world,” notes TDO’s Director of Artistic Administration David Lomeli.
Hart Institute alumnae accomplishments in just the past year include the appointment of Anna Skryleva as Music Director of the Magdeburg Opera and as the first female Chief Conductor of the Klassik Philharmonie Hamburg, Tianyi Lu as Welsh National Opera’s first “Female Conductor in Residence,” the appointment of Lina Gonzalez-Granados as a 2019-2020 Conducting Fellow for both Seattle Opera and the Philadelphia Orchestra; Chicago Opera Theater’s Lidiya Yankovskaya (Artistic Director of the Refugee Orchestra Project) leading refugee musicians in a performance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, the naming of Stephanie Mercier to the position of Director of Artistic and Production Operations at Washington National Opera, and the promotion of another Hart Administrator, Jennifer Rivera, to the position of Executive Director and CEO of Long Beach Opera.
Additionally, two Hart Institute conductors (and one faculty member, Nicole Paiement) made the list of the “Top 20 Women Conductors in the World” in 2019 (Norman Lebrecht, Slipped Disc).
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While the Hart Institute began with a focus on supporting talented conductors, the challenges faced by women opera administrators remain equally daunting. To address this imbalance, The Dallas Opera added a new component to the Hart Institute: through 2022, TDO will invite between two and four American opera administrators to participate each season. These women will be selected on the basis of their potential to become leaders of one of America’s top opera companies.
The 2019 Hart Institute Administrators are:
- Kristen Bigham (Lyric Opera of Chicago)
- Beverly Love (Wilbanks Partners)
- Suzanne Vinnik (artist & entrepreneur—founder of Shoperatic)
The selected opera administrators will have access to all group sessions and special sessions during the annual residency in Dallas.
One of the goals of the program is to construct a wide network of influential female leaders in the administrative offices of performing arts organizations, both large and small, as well as onstage and in the orchestra pit.
HART INSTITUTE – NEW CONDUCTING FELLOW
JANE KIM (USA) is the recipient of the 2018 Charles Schiff Conducting Prize. She currently serves as Assistant Conductor with the Little Orchestra Society. She has appeared with the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra and Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect, and, as cover conductor, she works with the New York Philharmonic, Canadian Opera Company, Juilliard Orchestra, and other ensembles. Previously, Jane served as Music Director of the Juilliard Pre-College String Ensemble and conductor of the Juilliard Lab Orchestra. Her summer activities include Aspen Music Festival, which she attended as a Conducting Fellow, and Pierre Monteux Music Festival, where she was named a Bernard Osher Scholar. Jane holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from The Juilliard School.
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Naming Support for the Institute from Linda and Mitch Hart
Initial Support from the Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation
Additional Support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation,
Baker Botts LLP, Cindy and Charlie Feld, Jenifer and Peter Flynn,
Susan and Mark Geyer, Holly and Tom Mayer, J.P. Morgan,
Betty and Steve Suellentrop, Martha and Max Wells,
Debra Witter and Scott Chase, and Texas Women’s Foundation
Made Possible by an OPERA America Innovation Grant
Supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation
ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA:
One of the leading opera companies in the country, The Dallas Opera has an extraordinary legacy of world-class productions and thrilling premieres featuring the greatest operatic artists of our time. Inaugurated in 1957 with a concert featuring the incomparable Maria Callas, TDO is known for the notable U.S. debuts of a host of legendary artists including Plácido Domingo, Dame Joan Sutherland, Jon Vickers, Franco Zeffirelli, and Sir David McVicar. The company has long been an industry leader and innovator through groundbreaking initiatives like the Hart Institute for Women Conductors, free public simulcasts, acclaimed art song recitals, the national vocal competition, special concerts, and outstanding family and award-winning education programs. TDO’s home is the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, a jewel in the Dallas Arts District. As one of the largest performing arts employers in North Texas, TDO is proudly committed to diversity, onstage and off, and is a major contributor to the economic vitality and international cultural reputation of this region.
2019-2020 SEASON SPONSOR
The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family
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EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation;
Texas Instruments Foundation; the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs;
The Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera.
Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera.
Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.
All performances in The Dallas Opera’s 63rd International Season will take place in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, unless otherwise indicated. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance and assistance is available for the hearing impaired.
The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will begin one hour prior to curtain at most performances. Full and Flex subscriptions are designed to meet the needs of every budget. Prices range from just $57 (for three performances of your choice) to a top orchestra floor price of $777 for all five mainstage productions. Single tickets are priced from $25 to $289 (a few box seats may be higher). For additional information or to make your purchase, call 214.443.1000 or visit www.dallasopera.org.
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