Elizabeth Rowe (born 1974) is an American flutist, known for being the principal flutist of the

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1 ...

and for a gender discrimination lawsuit. Rowe grew up in Oregon where she started playing the flute as a child. She earned a music degree and has held several titled positions with professional orchestras. In 2004, she won a blind audition against 250 other applicants to become the principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, she filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the Boston Symphony Orchestra alleging she was paid less on account of her gender. The case was settled out of court in February 2019.

Early life and education

Rowe was born in 1974 and grew up in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census ...

. Her parents were both college professors with an interest in music. She started studying the flute when she was 7 years old. Rowe earned a degree in music from the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8. ...

. She was also a fellow at the

Tanglewood Music Center The Tanglewood Music Center is an annual summer music academy in Lenox, Massachusetts, United States, in which emerging professional musicians participate in performances, master classes and workshops. The center operates as a part of the Tanglewo ...

Career

In 1998, when Rowe was 23 years old, she was hired as the principal flutist of the

Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The orchestra's primary concert venues are the Embassy Theatre and the Auer Performance Hall at Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IP ...

. This was followed by positions with the

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, it bega ...

and the

National Symphony Orchestra The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It also performs for the annual National Me ...

in Washington D.C. Rowe also played with the

New World Symphony New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

and is on the faculty of the

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on ...

. In 2004, at age 29, Rowe won a

blind audition In a blind audition the identity of the performer is concealed from the judges so as to prevent bias. The performance takes place behind a curtain so that the judges cannot see the performer. Blind auditions have become standard in symphony orchest ...

against 250 other flute players for the principal flute position with the

(BSO), which is one of the " Big Five" famous American orchestras. Her husband also joined the BSO in 2006. As of 2018, Rowe had been a concerto soloist in 28 BSO concerts. She was also frequently used as a spokesperson in their publicity and marketing efforts.

Discrimination lawsuit

Rowe filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the Boston Symphony Orchestra in July 2018. Her lawsuit is believed to be the first gender discrimination suit filed under the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act, a law that went into effect in July 2018. The lawsuit prompted public discussion about gender biases in the classical music industry. The basis of the lawsuit was that Rowe was paid about $64,000 less than the male principal oboist she sat next to. Rowe claimed this was because of her gender, while the BSO claimed oboists were more expensive than flutists due to market forces. Rowe and the BSO entered

mediation Mediation is a structured, interactive process where an impartial third party neutral assists disputing parties in resolving conflict through the use of specialized communication and negotiation techniques. All participants in mediation are ...

with help fro
The Gordon Law Group
in December 2018, and the lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in February 2019.

References

External links

Personal website

Boston Symphony Orchestra bio

Official page
at the New England Conservatory of Music website
Interview with Katie Couric
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowe, Elizabeth Feminist musicians American flautists Living people 1974 births 20th-century American women musicians Women flautists Musicians from Eugene, Oregon University of Southern California alumni 20th-century classical musicians 21st-century American women musicians 21st-century classical musicians 20th-century American musicians 21st-century American musicians New England Conservatory faculty Classical musicians from Oregon American women academics 20th-century flautists 21st-century flautists