Mission Statement
MAESTRA MUSIC, INC. was founded by composer/lyricist and music director Georgia Stitt to give support, visibility, and community to the women who make the music in the musical theater industry. Our membership is made up of female-identifying, non-binary, and gender non-conforming composers, music directors, orchestrators, arrangers, copyists, rehearsal pianists and other musicians who are an underrepresented minority in musical theater. The organization’s initiatives include monthly educational seminars, mentorship programs, technical skills workshops, networking events, and online resources and partnerships that aim to promote equality of opportunity and to address the many historical disadvantages and practices that have limited women composers and musicians in the musical theater.
Our Origin Story
MAESTRA exists to give support, visibility, and community to the women who make the music in the musical theater industry. It’s time for them to be heard. Read about how it all began.
Board of Directors
Georgia Stitt, composer/lyricist/music director, Founding Director/President
Emily Grishman, music copyist, Secretary
Laura Ivey, film producer, Founder of Par
Christina Lum, Power, Twersky and Derparseghian, Treasurer
Steering Committee
Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Broadway music director, founder of ASTEP
Andrea Daly, composer/songwriter/singer/audio editor
Emily Gardner Xu Hall, composer/actress/sound designer
Jennifer Isaacson, producer, WalkRunFly Productions
Erin McKeown, composer/singer-songwriter/producer
Kathy Sommer, composer/songwriter/producer, The Recording Academy: NY Chapter, Board of Governors, Chair of Musical Theater Task Force
Imani Uzuri, composer/librettist/recording artist/vocal coach/arranger
Advisory Board
Janet Axelrod, flutist, American Federation of Musicians, Local 802 Executive Board
Molly Barnett, Grapevine Public Relations
Kristen Blodgette, Broadway music director
Kirsten Childs, composer/lyricist/bookwriter
Carmel Dean, composer/music director
Carla Dirlikov Canales, opera singer, founder of The Canales Project/Hear Her Song
Tina Fallon, Executive Director of Creative Affairs, The Dramatists Guild
Elise Frawley, violist, American Federation of Musicians, Local 802 Executive Board
Tracy Geltman, COO, Stacey Mindich Productions
Diara M. Holmes, lawyer, Loeb & Loeb
Anna K. Jacobs, composer/lyricist, Director of Musical Theater Composition at The New York Youth Symphony
Julia Jordan, Executive Director, The Lillys
Stacey Mindich, Broadway producer
Amy Power, Marketing Strategist
Kiki Rathbun, Vice President of Communications, Spotco
Stephanie Sciandra, Associate Creative Director, Situation Interactive
Lynne Shankel, Broadway orchestrator/arranger/music director/composer
Ally Shuster, agent at Creative Artists Agency
Margaret Skoglund, company manager
Jeanine Tesori, Tony Award-winning composer
Kara Unterberg, Founder of The New York SongSpace
Lia Vollack, producer, Lia Vollack Productions
Sheilah Walker, music director
Caitlin Warbelow, violinist/fiddler
Staff
Jamie Maletz, Administrative Assistant
Bria Benjamin, Graphic Designer
Ryan Foy and Nick Gaswirth/Roundhouse Designs, Web Design
Janice Maffei and Joanne Spigner/VisionFirst, Consultants
Elspeth Collard, Sara Cooper, Heather Gershonowitz, Kailey Marshall, Blog Volunteers
Tina DeVaron and Lauren Cregor, Maestra Moms Committee
Britt Bonney, Hospitality Committee
Kathleen Wrinn, Data Manager
Shoshana Greenberg, Timeline of Women Composers
Allie Glickman, Development Volunteer
Special thanks to Meagan Cook and Kimberly Jenna Simon at The New York SongSpace and to Lily Dwoskin and Ioana Preda Buburuzan at The Dramatists Guild.
