Alexander Brose, President and CEO of The Royal Conservatory in Toronto, has over 25 years of experience working in the performing arts and education. Most recently, he was the inaugural Executive Director and CEO of the Tianjin Juilliard School in China. There, he worked closely with colleagues both in Tianjin and New York to create an inclusive and supportive institutional culture that upheld the educational and artistic excellence of Juilliard and respected the surrounding influences of China.

Prior to that, he was the Vice President for Development at the Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado, where he was responsible for all fund-raising and strategic relationship-building activities, raising US$75M as part of a capital campaign, and working with AMFS leadership to create a new strategic vision for the organization.

Aubrey Bergauer is a visionary leader known for revolutionizing the classical music landscape through innovative, results-driven strategies. Her tenure as chief executive of the California Symphony was marked by a doubling of audience size and a near quadrupling of the donor base, showcasing her exceptional ability to drive financial success, organizational growth, and galvanize stakeholders around a vision. 

Her debut book, Run It Like a Business, published in 2024, delivers actionable strategies for arts leaders looking to grow their audiences, remain relevant, and improve financial outcomes without compromising artistic excellence. With an unwavering commitment to innovation and results, Bergauer empowers organizations of all sizes to achieve transformative success—ensuring the performing arts thrive in a modern world.

To quote Ben Hoffman's LinkedIn bio, he's "a VCP - Very Curious Person". Traditionally speaking, he's the CEO of Square Productions, a marketing agency specializing in promoting live classical music, with a special emphasis on cold audience attraction and retention. He is also a photographer, cinematographer, and guitarist, and he is obsessed with marketing, which I love to talk about.

Catherine (Cate) was born in Austria, but considers the world her home. As the Principal and Founder of  Lenny’s Studio, her vision and passion for design and creative collaborations have been the foundation for Lenny’s Studio from the start. You can usually spot Cate with her trusty MacBook, pink backpack, coffee in hand, and opera dogs Lenny & Tristan at her side … all ready to take on the world 😉 

Chris Lorway is the President and CEO of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. He brings senior leadership experience across a broad range of artistic disciplines in both Canadian and international contexts. Well-positioned to strengthen Banff Centre’s position as Canada’s creative leader in arts, leadership, and convening, Chris has a proven record as a global influencer in arts and culture.

With a dedicated history in the arts world that began with the Lincoln Centre Festival Team, Chris also brings a marketing lens to his role as President and CEO. Prior to Stanford Live, he was Director of Programming and Marketing at The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, where his focus was on developing a cohesive brand identity for the institution.

 With a voice that can "shake the heavens" (Opera Today), bass-baritone Christian Van Horn has established himself as a favorite of audiences and critics alike. 

With his powerful instrument and commanding stage presence, Van horn has been hailed by The New York Times as “a bass-baritone of uncommon agility and power,” with a versatility that allows him to embody a variety of compelling roles, ranging from Méphistophélès to Don Giovanni. 

Van Horn hosts "The CVH Podcast", which he says is ""ZERO B*****t-Nothing Curated or framed", just pure unfiltered authentically him. Go and have a listen!

Described by critics as an “opera-world wunderkind” (The Globe and Mail), Director Joel Ivany is a distinguished figure in the world of opera, renowned for his visionary direction and transformative productions. Ivany’s journey into the world of opera began with a notable achievement as a finalist and prize winner in the 6th European Opera Directing Prize, where he presented a concept for Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi alongside Canadian designers Camellia Koo and Jason Hand. Since then, he has continued to push the boundaries of the art form, earning accolades and recognition for his outstanding work. Ivany currently serves as the Artistic Director for both the Edmonton Opera and the Banff Center for the Arts Opera in the 21st Century program. 

Michael is a founding director of Quiet Revolution Pictures (Canada) and Peardrop Productions (UK), and has produced and co-produced over a dozen feature films including Ivona Juka’s Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day which was Croatia’s Oscar® submission for this year. Michael also produced and co wrote Mitch Jenkin’s sci-fi, A Million Days (2024). He is the founder of JustWatchMe.tv, and an alumnus of the TIFF Producers Lab, Atlantic Partners, IFP NY and ACE Mundus. In 2018 was a guest of the South African government as part of their Inward Investment programme. He’s an alumnus of Toronto’s Metropolitan (Ryerson) University.

Michael Morreale is a digital content producer and consultant in Toronto, specialising in video production, online learning and digital project management. He has worked with brands like the CBC, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Royal Conservatory, Banff Centre and AGI. His work has been featured in Maclean’s Magazine, The Globe and Mail, PBS, and The Guardian. Find him at morreale.ca or theartsfirm.com.

Patricia Price specializes in international public relations, classical music marketing, and non-profit strategy. She co-founded 8VA Music Consultancy in 2012 after a distinguished career in classical presenting and the record industry. Patricia has lectured at leading arts institutions including Chamber Music America, The Juilliard School, and The Cliburn Competition.

8vamusicconsultancy.com

Signed to Atlantic/Warner Records at the age of nineteen, 4-time Juno nominee and modern-day Renaissance woman Sarah Slean has since released 11 albums in over 10 countries worldwide – but perhaps the most astonishing aspect of her artistry is its breadth. Over her 25-year career, Slean has published two volumes of poetry, starred in short films and a movie musical (spawning two Gemini Award nominations), penned award-winning chamber works, held numerous exhibitions of her paintings, and performed with 14 of Canada’s professional orchestras.  Classically trained from the age of 5, she routinely collaborates with cutting-edge contemporary classical ensembles.  She composes orchestral arrangements for her own music as well as for her pop colleagues (Dan Mangan, Hawksley Workman) and her recent collaborative recording with the Symphony Nova Scotia was nominated for both an East Coast Music Award and a Juno Award in the Classical Album category (2021).