Biography

"Elizabeth Askren’s conducting captured the score’s magic." - THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

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"...Askren inspired virtuosic achievements from the pit, from seamless ensemble playing to exposed, characterful solos, all beautifully rendered..." - OPERA TODAY

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.

Askren performs regularly with leading opera houses and orchestras in North America and Europe. Concerts for the 2022-23 season include guest conducting at The Dallas Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Opéra de Dijon, and Opéra national de Paris’ Académie.
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As a master teacher at The Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute and conducting teacher at the Opéra national de Paris’ Académie, she is frequently invited for masterclasses, international juries, and to speak on such topics as nonprofit leadership, the importance of classical music, cultural entrepreneurship, and DEI. Her TEDx talk, “Why Classical Music is the Wave of the Future”, garnered over 3000 views in less than 24 hours. She is featured regularly in the American and European media such as PBS Newshour, Radio France Internationale, France Musique.

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Deeply committed to education, Askren is the Founder and Artistic Director of TOA – Transylvanian Opera Academy, Romania’s first opera studio. TOA offers a 360° approach to education, taking a holistic approach to helping its young artists to develop as humans as well as musicians, all while giving back to their communities. Since its creation in 2017, TOA has been featured on national television, radio, and press, and has established international partnerships with the National Opera of Paris’ Academy, the Paris Philharmonie's La Maestra competition and Opera for Peace.

Askren holds diplomas in piano and conducting from the Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory, and the Conducting Institute of Bard in the United States, and the Schola Cantorum and the Ecole Normale de Musique in France. Her musical mentors include conductors Marin Alsop and Lorin Maazel, and pianists Byron Janis and Sergio Perticaroli. She was awarded the highest teaching diplomas from both the French Ministry of Culture (certificat d’aptitude en direction d’ensembles orchestrales) and the Romanian Ministry of Education (PhD, magna cum laude).

When not performing abroad, Askren divides her time between New York, Paris and Transylvania. Eager to contribute to her local communities, she has served on various educational and philanthropic boards, and consults for nonprofit organizations in the US and Europe.