We recently had the chance to connect with Mary Box and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mary, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
When I’m studying a score, I have to set timers to remind myself to stop and eat!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a classical music conductor and pianist with extensive experience coaching many of the world’s leading opera singers. I’ve been on music staff for over 40 operas at Dallas Opera, Minnesota Opera, and Austin Opera, among others. On the podium, I’ve conducted orchestras and operas in seven countries: the United States, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Austria, Finland, Mexico, and Egypt.
I founded the Montrose Project, a nonprofit celebrating women composers. Last year, with the help of Rice University’s Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership, I formed a board, and we filed and were granted 501(c)3 status! This year, we formed a long-term strategy to create impact in getting women’s works performed. Through research and publicly-available recordings on our streaming platforms, we can shift the needle!
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My high school and middle school teacher, Ken Thompson, saw my talent and drive before I ever saw it in myself. I was just a kid who loved playing the piano. Ken taught me that I had really special musical convictions that he’d rarely seen, which encouraged me to keep playing.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear of failure. I still have this fear in the back of my mind, but every day, I get to choose to ignore it!
As a pianist, instead of fully exploring my likes and dislikes in my youth, I avoided anything with a high chance of criticism. I didn’t want people to say, behind my back, “Who does she think she is? She needs to stay in her lane.” In 2020, I thought, “It’s now or never! Just see if you like it.” I started, and absolutely fell in love with conducting operas and haven’t looked back since.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I want to see women composers represented equally to men composers on concert programs. I want women everywhere to be fully valued for their contributions to society, and for every little girl everywhere to believe they can do anything.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What false labels are you still carrying?
That I’m not enough. I have very high expectations of myself, but sometimes those expectations can get in the way of my happiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maryboxmusic.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/marybox
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-box-6877ab37
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marybox4
Image Credits
Tanya Yarmolovych
