The Dallas Opera has announced that due to the ongoing health regulations, the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors will be held online.

The two-week residency is still scheduled for February 8-19, 2021.

While the curriculum is still being developed, part of the residency includes the opportunity to rehearse with singers and The Dallas Opera Orchestra; fellows will be invited back to Dallas in 2022 to complete this part of the experience.

Since it was launched in 2015, TDO’s Hart Institute has trained and supported over 500 women conductors from over 40 nations.

This year’s winners are Yeo Ryeong Ahn from South Korea, Christine Brandes and Chelsea Gallo from the United States, Michelle Di Russo from Argentina, Barbara Dragan from Poland, Elinor Reufeizen from Israel, and Susannah Wapshott from the United Kingdom.

The program also accepts a handful of American applicants for training in arts management at a senior administrative level. The winners of the administrative track are Jessica Gonzalez, Leah Johns, Yvette Loynaz, and Megan Thompson.

“An international audience for the Hart Institute gives this program the potential for incredible reach, sustainability, and growth,” explains Ian Derrer, The Dallas Opera’s Kern Wildenthal general director and CEO. “Musical training and masterclasses at the highest international level, as well as mentorship in how to navigate the industry, including making the connections vital to successful careers, are all part of the curriculum. The goal is to help women conductors advance their careers and find employment in their chosen field.”