The 2024 Women in Classical Music Symposium kicks off with a 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-MarieMcDermott taking center stage. The program concludes with Elgar’s beloved "Enigma Variations."

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 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 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.