‘Cultural activist’ is new principal guest conductor

‘Cultural activist’ is new principal guest conductor

Opera

norman lebrecht

February 28, 2024

Elizabeth Askren, newly appointed principal guest conductor of Hawaii Opera Theatre, describes herself as ‘conductor, educator, and cultural activist’. Three jobs for the price of one.

A master teacher at both The Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute for Women Conductors and at the Paris Opera’s Academy, Askren made history by judging the Paris Philharmonic’s inaugural La Maestra Competition for Women Conductors alongside her mentor, Marin Alsop. Askren is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Transylvanian Opera Academy (TOA), Romania’s first opera studio and is regularly invited to speak about leadership, culture-preneurship, inclusivity, and cultivating humanity in the age of AI.

Comments

  • Bezalel says:

    What is a cultural activist? Please enlighten me.

    • Peter San Diego says:

      This might do as a provisional definition: someone who works to maintain, cultivate and expand the role and importance of culture in an increasingly demotic and technocratic world.

    • John Borstlap says:

      A cultural activist is someone who actively embarks on enterprises that aim to improve the application of cultural subjects in the participation of appropriate membership.

      • John Borstlap says:

        Why all the thumbs down? When I read that beautiful definition, several times, I get a warm feeling in my google.

        Sally

    • Omar Goddknowe says:

      Someone hired to eliminate dead white guys from the repertoire and replace it with “woke” works and the complete operas of Grant Still every season.

    • Allma Own says:

      Someone out to destroy the very art they depend on.

  • John Borstlap says:

    I love this stuff! Bit by bit we’re winning.

    Sally

  • Renato says:

    I am a ‘cultural activist’ since 35 years. Thanks for giving me a title 🙂 Look where we are now? – I just want plain great classical music which does go straight into my soul and no marketing concept.

  • Renato says:

    And no AI – everybody seems to try to make it there now.

  • David A. Boxwell says:

    I can go one better: I’m a critic, social influencer, activist, and philanthropist.

    (I post here, have 12 followers, vote, and take stuff to jumble sales).

  • Anna M says:

    I’m new to this publication so maybe I’m missing the point, but my phone’s browser has thrown up two similar articles today, this one and the one about the new Barbican director, and both consist of a sort of snarky little comment followed by a press release/bio about the person.
    The intention in both seems to be to belittle or undermine the people in question, who are both women.
    I love classical music and I’ve been to the Barbican a fair amount – maybe that’s why Google thinks I’d be interested in this – but I seem to have stumbled into strange, misogynistic classical music blog!

  • Amused Conductor says:

    A “cultural activist” is mostly a master bullsh**tter surfing on the hype to promote his/her career.

  • Steve says:

    Would be nice if she stuck just to conducting and dropped the activism B.S.

  • Lichtbringer says:

    We do live in the golden age of bullshit

  • Plush says:

    There is no culture in Hawaii and the org. she joins is nowhere. No profile, no chance to shine. Nearly bankrupt.

  • Mst3k says:

    What could go wrong?
    Maybe they/them will set the life of George Floyd to music?
    As an adjacent ally, I hope we can bring in more members of BLM, antifa, Hamas, et al.

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