“The University of Iowa School of Music … last week [announced] its next Director of Orchestral Activities, Professor Mélisse Brunet,” writes Delaney Orewiler in Monday’s (4/19) Daily Iowan, the student newspaper of the University of Iowa. “Originally from Paris, Brunet currently serves as the director of Orchestral Activities at Appalachian State University and director of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic…. Brunet began her music career at age 7 at a music school in Paris. She started teaching by the time she was 17-years-old, and hasn’t stopped since…. She … became the first woman to direct the UI’s Orchestral Activities after a multiple-round hiring process alongside three other finalists.” Brunet participated in the League of American Orchestras’ Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview in 2018. “Brunet … noted that she has faced hardships as a woman in the industry, but that her experience shaped her into the person she is today. ‘Even if you get 3,000 “no”s, you keep going,’ Brunet said. ‘Believe in your instinct, find mentors in your field, and go realize your dreams.’ Brunet invited all students to join one of her orchestras … even those who are not majoring in music. ‘Music is for everyone,’ Brunet said.”
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