Announcing the New Director of the Yale Symphony Orchestra

Dear Yale Community,

We are pleased to share that Elizabeth Askren has been appointed Director of the Yale Symphony Orchestra and Associate Professor Adjunct at the Yale School of Music, beginning in the 2025–2026 academic year.

This appointment follows a thorough search process carried out by a diverse committee of faculty and staff from across the University, with thoughtful input from the members and student leaders of the YSO. We are deeply grateful to everyone involved for their time and expertise during this process.

Professor Askren brings with her a wealth of experience as a conductor, educator, and advocate for inclusive excellence in the arts. She is widely recognized for her collaborative spirit, technical command, and a deep commitment to fostering musical growth. Currently Hawai’i Opera Theatre’s first Principal Guest Conductor and a music staff member at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Professor Askren has led performances praised for their clarity, vitality, and expressive depth.

Throughout her career, Professor Askren has demonstrated a strong commitment to mentorship and access in the arts. She is the founder and artistic director of the Transylvanian Opera Academy — Romanias first opera studio — and the creator of MaestraMagic!, a multi-media edutainment initiative designed to introduce young audiences to the world of classical music. Professor Askren has taught at the Opera national de Paris’ Academy and was the inaugural judge for the Paris Philharmonic’s La Maestra Competition and Academy for women conductors, alongside fellow pioneer Marin Alsop. A strong voice for equity and creativity in the field, Professor Askren is also the Music Director of the groundbreaking opera Sensorium Ex, created by composer Paola Prestini and poet Brenda Shaughnessey, which explores issues at the intersection of AI, disability, and what it means to have a voice.

Holding degrees from The Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory, Bard College, and prestigious institutions in France and Romania, Professor Askrens artistic development has been shaped by distinguished mentors, including conductors Alsop, Lorin Maazel, and Janos Fuerst and pianists Byron Janis, Sergio Perticaroli, and Germaine Tocatlian. An OPERA America Opera Grant winner, she is a laureate of Frances ADAMI and The Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute and has received fellowships from the Salzburg Mozarteum, the Royaumont Foundation, and the Aldeburgh Festival.

As we welcome Professor Askren to Yale, we want to express our continued deepest thanks to William Boughton for his exceptional stewardship of the Yale Symphony Orchestra over the past decade. Professor Boughton has brought remarkable energy, creativity, and care to his work with students, and he has animated the orchestra with adventurous programming and a spirit of curiosity. The program is in a great place because of his leadership.

Thank you, Professor Boughton, and welcome, Professor Askren. We look forward to supporting the next chapter of the Yale Symphony Orchestra.