Elizabeth Rowe (flutist)

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Elizabeth Rowe

| image = File:Elizabeth Rowe.jpg

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| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1974}}

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| genre = Classical

| occupation = Leadership Coach
Former Principal Flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

| instrument = Flute

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| module = {{Infobox person|embed=yes

| known_for=Gender discrimination lawsuit}}

| website = [https://www.iamelizabethrowe.com Official website]

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Elizabeth Rowe (born 1974) is an American flutist and leadership coach, known for being the principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 2004 to 2024 and for a gender 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.

Rowe retired from the Boston Symphony at the end of the 2024 Tanglewood season, in order to focus on her work as a leadership coach.

Early life and education

Rowe was born in 1974{{cite news|title=The BSO Appoints a New Principal Flutist National Symphony's Elizabeth Rowe Will Replace Jacques Zoon|first=Richard|last=Dyer|newspaper=The Boston Globe|page=C.1|date=February 14, 2004}}{{cite news|title=Music Review: BSO's Principal Flutist is Ready to Move into the Spotlight|url=https://www.patriotledger.com/article/20100128/NEWS/301289377|newspaper=The Patriot Ledger|first=Keith|last=Powers|date=January 28, 2010}} and grew up in Eugene, Oregon.{{cite news | last=Edgers | first=Geoff | title=A star flutist is paid $64,451 less than her male counterpart. So she's suing. | newspaper=Washington Post | date=December 11, 2018 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/entertainment/music/orchestra-gender-pay-gap/ | access-date=October 29, 2019}} Her parents were both college professors with an interest in music. She started studying the flute when she was 7 years old. Rowe earned a degree in music from the University of Southern California. She was also a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center.

Career

In 1998, when Rowe was 23 years old, she was hired as the principal flutist of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra. This was followed by positions with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra{{cite news| last=Smith | first=Tim | title=BSO to perform at Carnegie Hall | newspaper=The Baltimore Sun | date=April 29, 2003 | url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2003-04-29-0304290167-story.html | access-date=November 9, 2019}} and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C. Rowe also played with the New World Symphony and was on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music as of 2018.{{cite web | last=Dowling | first=Brian | title=Boston Symphony Orchestra flute player takes equal pay fight to court | website=Boston Herald | date=July 4, 2018 | url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/07/04/boston-symphony-orchestra-flute-player-takes-equal-pay-fight-to-court/ | access-date=October 30, 2019}}

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),{{cite web | title=Top Flutist Settles Gender Pay-Gap Suit With Boston Symphony Orchestra | website=NPR.org | date=February 21, 2019 | url=https://www.npr.org/2019/02/21/696574690/top-flutist-settles-gender-pay-gap-suit-with-boston-symphony-orchestra | access-date=October 30, 2019|first=Anastasia|last=Tsioulcas}} which is one of the "Big Five" famous American orchestras.{{cite web |first=Geoff |last=Edgers | title=A Boston Symphony Orchestra flutist was paid $70,000 less than a male counterpart. She sued. | website=Boston.com | date=December 11, 2018 | url=https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2018/12/11/boston-symphony-orchestra-flutist-elizabeth-rowe-lawsuit | access-date=October 30, 2019}} Her husband also joined the BSO in 2006. As of 2018, Rowe had been a concerto soloist in 28 BSO concerts. She was also frequently used as a spokesperson in their publicity and marketing efforts.

= Discrimination lawsuit =

Rowe filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the Boston Symphony Orchestra in July 2018.{{cite web | title=The BSO's principal flutist says she is paid far less than the man who is the principal oboist | website=BostonGlobe.com | date=July 17, 2018 | url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2018/07/05/bso-principal-flutist-sues-for-equal-pay/Mx9KncUJ0P2wXqOUaTJUlJ/story.html | access-date=October 30, 2019|first=Jeremy|last=Eichler}} 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. The lawsuit prompted public discussion about gender biases in the classical music industry.{{cite web | title=Star Flutist Settles Pay Equity Suit Against Boston Symphony | website=The New York Times | date=February 21, 2019 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/arts/music/boston-symphony-elizabeth-rowe-settlement.html | access-date=October 30, 2019| first=Jennifer|last=Schuessler}}

The basis of the lawsuit was that Rowe was paid about $64,000 less than the male principal oboist she sat next to. Rowe claimed this was because of her gender, while the BSO claimed oboists were more expensive than flutists due to market forces. Rowe and the BSO entered mediation in December 2018,{{cite news|url=https://www.wbur.org/artery/2018/12/12/equal-pay-case-bso-flutist |title=Making The Case For Equal Pay, A Flutist Enters Mediation With The BSO |work=WBUR |date=December 12, 2018 |accessdate=November 15, 2019 |first=Amelia |last=Mason}} and the lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in February 2019.{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2019/02/14/bso-flutist-settles-equal-pay-lawsuit-with-orchestra/0iRyJCdjtu1BLWCAoqfQDL/story.html |title=BSO Flutist Settles Equal Pay Lawsuit with Orchestra |work=The Boston Globe |date=February 14, 2019 |accessdate=November 15, 2019 |first=Malcolm |last=Gay}}

= Leadership Coaching =

Rowe retired from the Boston Symphony at the end of the 2024 Tanglewood season, in order to focus on her work as a leadership coach.{{cite web | last=Madonna | first=A.Z. | title=A joyful yet bittersweet end to summer at Tanglewood | website=BostonGlobe.com | date=August 26, 2024 | url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/08/26/arts/tanglewood-final-weekend-review/?event=event12 | access-date=September 24, 2024}}{{cite news |url= https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/04/04/arts/elizabeth-rowe-boston-symphony-orchestra-flutist-leadership-coach/?event=event12 |title=Flutist Elizabeth Rowe Landed the Dream Job of a Lifetime at 29. At 49, She's Walking Away |last=Madonna |first=A.Z. |work=Boston Globe |date=2024-04-04 |accessdate=2024-05-06}}{{Cite news |last=Allen |first=David |date=2023-08-15 |title=At Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony Displays Its Heritage and Uncertain Future |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/15/arts/music/boston-symphony-tanglewood.html |access-date=2024-06-29 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}