UK's Bravo Maestros Launches Conductor Nomination Scheme

Founded by researcher Scott Caizler, Bravo Maestros is a social enterprise and network that celebrates diversity in classical music.

The organization aims to raise awareness around musicians of different backgrounds through its "100 Maestros" project, in which the public can nominate a potential candidate. Nominations are now open, here.

Through uncovering a gap in research on diverse classical music students in UK conservatoires, Caizler pursued his PhD at Kings College London. His doctoral thesis titled "Bravo Maestros: A Bourdieusian exploration on the experiences of state-schooled conservatoire graduates" is what formed the rationale to developing Bravo Maestros.

"The classical music industry is a world which has been evolved and developed by white and extremely advantaged men," Caizler said. "It can be a daunting and scary world for anyone who is different and that’s why Bravo Maestros exists - to bring together and celebrate diversity to ensure that classical music remains relevant in society for many more years to come."

Bravo Maestros will see its first yearly conference in November 2022, which focuses on the idea of "reimagining classical music for a post-pandemic society."

Caizler added, "the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated longstanding inequalities across the classical music sector forcing many to reimagine how things were done."

Submissionsfor the conference in the form of poster presentations, papers and roundtable discussions will be due on the July 28, 2022.