“Kim Noltemy, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s first female President and CEO, has been working in the classical music industry for over 20 years,” reports Kimberly Richard on Friday (8/17) at TV station NBC 5 DFW (Texas). “During her career, she noticed a shift in the composition of orchestras, with women making up roughly half of the musicians on the stage. However, she rarely saw a woman conducting the orchestra or noted a woman’s name being listed as a composer. As a part of DSO’s new strategic plan, Noltemy and Sanjiv Yajnik, Dallas Symphony Association Board of Governors Chairman, aim to change that with the orchestra’s ‘Women in Classical Music’ initiative.… The initiative includes a ten-year program to commission at least ten new works by female composers, the appointment of a female Principal Guest Conductor, the formation of a composer-in-residence position, the establishment of an annual Women in Classical Music symposium in 2019 and the creation of a Career Advancement Award.” Says DSO Board Chairman Sanjiv Yajnik, “In most industries, we’re seeing more examples of women climbing the corporate ladder…. It’s time that this happens in the world of music.”
Posted August 20, 2018
In photo: Ruth Reinhardt, the most recent Dallas Symphony Orchestra assistant conductor, at Meyerson Symphony Center. She returns to the DSO this season to conduct regular subscription concerts.
