Jennifer Dautermann
Fuelled by my passion for the arts and concern for society, I develop strategies to advance goals, execute innovative, targeted programmes and create opportunities. The wide variety of positions I have held demonstrate my flexibility, collaborative nature and self-motivation.
Photo by Eric van Nieuwland
Jennifer majored in classical music performance with a minor in studio photography at the Interlochen Arts Academy and the University of Michigan School of Music with parallel professional engagements at institutions such as the Michigan Opera Theater. While living in New York City, she worked in photography.
After moving to Berlin, Jennifer was part of the British Council’s Arts and Creative Industries department for over seven years, active in projects across the innovative arts spectrum. In 2009, she independently initiated and realized the C3 Festival (Club Contemporary Classical), a showcase for contemporary music mixing elements of new classical and electronica which took place at Berlin’s renowned Berghain club. C3 2011 expanded to three cities (Berlin, Essen, Gdansk) and was supported by the German Federal Cultural Foundation.
Jennifer was engaged by Piranha Arts in 2011 to start up a global conference for the professional Western European classical music scene. The result was Classical:NEXT, which aimed to unite all art music sectors while exploring future paths forward. Until February 2021, she guided development of this annual gathering which attracted 1,300 participants from 48 countries to its eighth on-site edition in May 2019. The years spent observing the needs of the international art music ecosystem and the wider world led her to conceive the global cooperative project Art In Action (ArIA): International Festival and Conference for Art Music, Social Action and Positive Change, for which she prepared a Creative Europe Large-Level Cooperation funding application, receiving high marks and an excellent evaluation. Currently, she is delighted to return to activity in the wider performing arts thanks to being selected to be an international advisor for the inaugural Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo, which will take place in October 2024.
Jennifer is a native English speaker, fluent in German, and as of November 2023, lives in both Calgary, Canada and Berlin, Germany.
International Advisor
Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo
August 2023 – October 2024
Founding Director
Classical:NEXT
Collaborative presentations and workshops
• United Nations Institute for Training and Research/The Global Foundation for the Performing Arts, featured speaker, “Leave No One Behind: Validating ALL Voices of Culture” digital conference, March 2021
• Belfast, Association of British Orchestras, January 2019, “New Audiences, New Sounds, New Formats”
• Berlin, Deutsche Orchestertag, November 2017 “Neues in der Neue Musik”
• Detroit, Sphinx Connect Conference, February 2017, “Insights into Europe: Navigating the Orchestra Scene in Germany and the UK”
Solo presentations and workshops
• Cologne, Philharmonie, ECHO European Concert Hall Organisation Artistic Platform Meeting “Custom Concert Design: A Practical Session on Innovation, September 2022
• Hamburg, NDR Klassikredaktionstagung, March 2019 (Impulsvortrag – Finanzierungs- und Förderungssysteme und ihren Effekt auf Innovation – ein Ländervergleich)
• Oslo, Arena Klassik (1st Swedish Classical Music Professionals Conference and Showcase Festival), October 2017, “Future of Live Classical”
• Gurye, South Korea, HwaEom Spiritual Music Ritual Festival Inaugural Artist Residency Programme, September 2017, “Introduction to Zen Buddhism for Musicians”
• Rio de Janiero, Rc4 Festival, January 2016, “The Now and the Next”
Consulting
• Strategic Planning, Nordic Baroque Scene, September 2021
Tutoring
• University of Michigan School of Music, Theater and Dance; EXCELerator entrepreneurial fellowship programme; February-March 2020; Online mentoring sessions on strategy, stakeholder acquisition and audience development for 4 selected emerging arts presenters
Communications, Production, Artistic Advising
• Aria Borealis Bodø International Early Music Festival and Competition 2022
• Staatsoper Hannover, STIMMEN series, 2021/22 season
The above is a selection, not a complete listing.
• Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo 2024, showcase performances and project pitches selection jury, December 2023
• Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (BKM), “Exzellente Orchesterlandschaft Deutschland”, Jurorin, 2022
• San Diego Opera, “Opera Hack” advisory panel member 2021
• Annual Classical:NEXT programme selection jury, (2012-2019)
• Berlin Music Commission, “Listen to Berlin” selection jury 2009
Harvard Division of Continuing Education
Professional Development
Negotiation Skills: Strategies for increased Effectiveness
February 2022
Harvard Extension School
Innovation and Strategy
July 2021
Meeting Design Institute
Online and hybrid interactive meeting and conference design
Training course, October 2020
Certification, January – March 2021
University of Michigan
Bachelor of Musical Arts, Vocal Performance / Photography
1988–1992
Interlochen Arts Academy
High School Diploma (with Honors), Classical Vocal Performance
1987–1988