Elizabeth Rowe

Elizabeth Rowe (born 1974) is an American flutist and leadership coach, known for being the principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 2004 to 2024 and for a gender discrimination lawsuit.

Rowe grew up in Oregon where she started playing the flute as a child. She earned a music degree and has held several titled positions with professional orchestras. In 2004, she won a blind audition against 250 other applicants to become the principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

In 2018, she filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the Boston Symphony Orchestra alleging she was paid less on account of her gender. The case was settled out of court in February 2019.

Rowe retired from the Boston Symphony at the end of the 2024 Tanglewood season, in order to focus on her work as a leadership coach.

Early life and education Rowe was born in 1974 and grew up in Eugene, Oregon. Her parents were both college professors with an interest in music. and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C.

In 2004, at age 29, Rowe won a blind audition against 250 other flute players for the principal flute position with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), which is one of the "Big Five" famous American orchestras. Her husband also joined the BSO in 2006. Her lawsuit is believed to be the first gender discrimination suit filed under the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act, a law that went into effect in July 2018.

The basis of the lawsuit was that Rowe was paid about $64,000 less than the male principal oboist she sat next to. and the lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in February 2019.

Leadership Coaching Rowe retired from the Boston Symphony at the end of the 2024 Tanglewood season, in order to focus on her work as a leadership coach.