Some stories culminate on stage.
Hers begins there…
Elizabeth’s unique career exists at the intersection of high-level leadership coaching, world-class performance, and impactful advocacy. Her coaching practice helps high achievers across all industries learn to thrive in demanding work environments and successfully navigate career or personal transitions, all while remaining true to themselves.
Artistry
Elizabeth Rowe has completed her final season as principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
The New York Times called her a “divine flutist” and her playing “ravishing.”
The Boston Globe called her a “standout,” describing her playing as “bewitching” and “evocative.”
As a member of that world-class ensemble from 2004 to 2024, she can be heard on numerous Grammy Award-winning recordings.
In addition to her role as principal flutist, her leadership contributions to the orchestra included well over two dozen solo appearances and numerous chamber music performances with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players.
You can learn more about the culmination of this significant chapter in her professional life by clicking here.
Advocacy
Elizabeth attracted international attention in 2018 when she filed an equal pay lawsuit against the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
She was one of just two female principal musicians throughout her entire tenure with the orchestra, and was the sole female member of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players.
The lawsuit, considered to be the first of its kind in her industry, was covered by the New York Times, the Boston Globe, NPR, CNN, Time Magazine, The New Yorker, and Slate.com, as well as numerous other national and international news outlets. It ultimately led to an extensively researched article in the Washington Post which exposed a significant gender pay gap within the orchestral music industry.
Following this, the Boston Globe recognized her in its annual Bostonian of the Year feature, calling her "The Fighter."
Elizabeth and the BSO successfully mediated the lawsuit in 2019, and she remained a dedicated member of the orchestra until 2024, her twentieth season.
Elizabeth’s actions continue to
generate important conversations.
She raises new questions by shining a light on pay practices within the industry and by seeking out and embracing opportunities to advocate for change:
Katie Couric interviewed her for one of the first editions of the daily newsletter "Wake-up Call.”
She joined other national leaders in the struggle for social justice at Ellevate Network’s 2019 Mobilize Women summit, speaking on a panel titled “Removing the Silence.”
She was the keynote speaker at the Eastman School of Music’s 2020 conference on Gender Equity in Music.
Her TEDx talk is titled “The Lonely Onlys; Transformed by Imagination and Vulnerability.”
Read her latest article on Gender Equity in the Performing Arts here.
Within the classical music industry Elizabeth has been committed to empowering the next generation of leaders — supporting, guiding, and challenging them to lead with courage.
She is the founder and moderator of Seeing Beyond the Notes, a private Facebook group which serves classical musicians in the early stages of their careers.
You can watch her conversation with MIT students about resilience, community, and overcoming failure here.
What’s Next
A message from Elizabeth:
As I celebrate the end of my performance career, I also look to the future with joyful enthusiasm. I am excited to dedicate myself fully to my coaching practice — stepping out of the spotlight of the concert stage and into the transformational space of deep conversations that are less visible, but equally impactful.
Working at the intersection of career and personal development, I partner with high achievers across all industries as they strive to reach their potential. Together with my clients I help to create a rich and robust thought partnership — work that benefits from the creativity, discipline, nuance and courage of a world-class performing artist, now brought into the coaching conversation.
Learn more by clicking here.
