Elizabeth Rowe (flutist)

Elizabeth Rowe (born 1974) is an American flutist, known for being the principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and for a gender discrimination lawsuit.

Elizabeth Rowe
Background information
Born1974 (age 46–47)
GenresClassical
Occupation(s)Principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
InstrumentsFlute
WebsitePersonal website
Known forGender 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[1][2] and grew up in Eugene, Oregon.[3] Her parents were both college professors with an interest in music.[3] She started studying the flute when she was 7 years old.[3] Rowe earned a degree in music from the University of Southern California.[3] She was also a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center.[1][2]

Career

In 1998, when Rowe was 23 years old, she was hired as the principal flutist of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra.[3] This was followed by positions with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra[4] and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C.[1][3] Rowe also played with the New World Symphony[2] and is on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music.[5]

In 2004, at age 29, Rowe won a blind audition against 250 other flute players for the principal flute position with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO),[3][6] which is one of the "Big Five" famous American orchestras.[7] Her husband also joined the BSO in 2006.[2] As of 2018, Rowe had been a concerto soloist in 28 BSO concerts.[3] She was also frequently used as a spokesperson in their publicity and marketing efforts.[3][5]

Discrimination lawsuit
Further information: Boston Symphony Orchestra § Unequal-pay lawsuit

Rowe filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the Boston Symphony Orchestra in July 2018.[8] 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.[5][6][8] The lawsuit prompted public discussion about gender biases in the classical music industry.[6][9]

The basis of the lawsuit was that Rowe was paid about $64,000 less than the male principal oboist she sat next to.[3] Rowe claimed this was because of her gender,[3] while the BSO claimed oboists were more expensive than flutists due to market forces.[3] Rowe and the BSO entered mediation in December 2018,[10] and the lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in February 2019.[9][11]

References
  1. Dyer, Richard (February 14, 2004). "The BSO Appoints a New Principal Flutist National Symphony's Elizabeth Rowe Will Replace Jacques Zoon". The Boston Globe. p. C.1.
  2. Powers, Keith (January 28, 2010). "Music Review: BSO's Principal Flutist is Ready to Move into the Spotlight". The Patriot Ledger.
  3. Edgers, Geoff (December 11, 2018). "A star flutist is paid $64,451 less than her male counterpart. So she's suing". Washington Post. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  4. Smith, Tim (April 29, 2003). "BSO to perform at Carnegie Hall". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  5. Dowling, Brian (July 4, 2018). "Boston Symphony Orchestra flute player takes equal pay fight to court". Boston Herald. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  6. Tsioulcas, Anastasia (February 21, 2019). "Top Flutist Settles Gender Pay-Gap Suit With Boston Symphony Orchestra". NPR.org. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  7. Edgers, Geoff (December 11, 2018). "A Boston Symphony Orchestra flutist was paid $70,000 less than a male counterpart. She sued". Boston.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  8. Eichler, Jeremy (July 17, 2018). "The BSO's principal flutist says she is paid far less than the man who is the principal oboist". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  9. Schuessler, Jennifer (February 21, 2019). "Star Flutist Settles Pay Equity Suit Against Boston Symphony". The New York Times. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  10. Mason, Amelia (December 12, 2018). "Making The Case For Equal Pay, A Flutist Enters Mediation With The BSO". WBUR. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  11. Gay, Malcolm (February 14, 2019). "BSO Flutist Settles Equal Pay Lawsuit with Orchestra". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
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