Maestra Music, the Obie-winning nonprofit founded by Georgia Stitt to support women and nonbinary musicians in the musical theatre industry, has announced the appointment of Lee Bynum as its first executive director.
Bynum is a librettist, composer, and dramaturg who has held senior roles at Lincoln Center, Minnesota Opera, and the Mellon Foundation. They currently serve on the boards of American Composers Forum, The Dream Unfinished Orchestra, Black Feminist Project, and Luna Composition Lab. As an artist-educator, Bynum works to advance gender equity and artistic innovation, commission new works, and shape national discourse around access and representation in musical theatre and opera.
鈥淎t a moment when gender equity in the arts is under increasing threat, Maestra鈥檚 work has never been more essential," Bynum said in a statement. "As a nonbinary creator, I know firsthand what it means to be left out of the room, as well as what it takes to build new tables where others can convene and thrive. I am honored to join this extraordinary constellation of artists and advocates, and to help guide its next chapter of growth. Maestra already is a force for positive change in the musical theatre industry. I look forward to collaborating with the community in the building of a lasting institution that not only broadens who participates, but how we define leadership, excellence, and belonging across the field.鈥�
"Maestra is five years old, officially, but the idea of Maestra has been in my head and heart for nearly a decade,鈥� added Stitt. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be prouder of the way this organization has found its footing in the industry that I love so much, and its rapid growth has been formidable. The Board and I started talking last year about the need to find an executive director who could be as passionate about this work as I am, who could step in and lead this organization while I carve out more space to be a musician. I feel about Lee that I have found a partner, a visionary who is already seeing not just what Maestra is, but what it will certainly become under their leadership.鈥�
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