“‘Historically speaking, it’s a man on the podium leading an orchestra,’ said Lisa Bury, Dallas Opera’s chief advancement and strategy officer. ‘There have been women, and very successful women, but the vast majority have been male, and in an era, i.e. the 21st century, it’s time as an industry to collectively improve the ratio and work together to achieve gender parity at the podium.’ That’s why Dallas Opera founded the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors, a two-week residency for about a half dozen conductors and, now, administrators, which culminates in a concert attended by members of the public as well as officials, agents and managers.” – ABC News