This past year, in addition to being a rehearsal pianist at The Dallas Opera with such stars as Maria Agresta, Kathryn Lewek, and Lucas Meachem, Mary decided to study conducting.

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In July, Ms. Box conducted a world premiere opera by Mark Buller for Houston Grand Opera's Art of Opera outreach program. In May, Ms. Box made her Woodlands Symphony Orchestra debut conducting works by Richard Strauss, Gustav Holst, and John Williams.

This past year, Ms. Box study-conducted Verdi and Rossini arias and overtures with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra in Olomouc, Czech Republic, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 with the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra in Wisconsin, and Brahms’ symphonies with the Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in the Ukraine. Ms. Box also studied Così fan tutte at the Vienna Opera Academy for Conductors and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite at the Conducting Masterclass and Workshop Series in Chicago. 

A fierce advocate for women in the arts, Ms. Box recently created The Montrose Project, a Houston-based ensemble discovering and performing works by women composers.

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Ms. Box has collaborated on more than forty operatic productions. She recently joined the music staff of The Dallas Opera for several exciting projects, including the world premiere recording of Joby Talbot's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, the Dallas Opera National Vocal Competition, the Hart Institute for Women Conductors, Madama Butterfly with Emmanuel Villaume, and Il barbiere di Siviglia with Lina Gonzalez-Granados.

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Ms. Box maintains an active coaching schedule from her home in Houston, Texas, coaching such GRAMMY winners as Sasha Cooke, Reginald Smith, Jr., and Richard Paul Fink.

"I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity."

-Billy Joel