Elizabeth Askren has built a vibrant career by empowering musicians around the world, whether from the podium as a conductor, as an educator, as a creator, and as a speaker on issues of leadership, diversity and more.
Interview by Louis Geisler, Dijon Opera
Many of us have heard the original quip about Fred Astaire that appeared in Bob Thaves’ 1982 Frank and Ernest comic strip: “Sure he was great, but don’t forget that Ginger Rogers did everything he did, backwards and in high heels.” What astounds is the overwhelming relevance this observation continues to hold for so many of us; I experience this as a classical music conductor.