More Than Clothes

What is a citizen of style? Is that the person whose clothes would dazzle on a fashion runway? The person whose outfits draw attention in any room? Or is it the individual who knows who they are and wears that identity comfortably?

The latter is the case with Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra CEO Dr. Amanda Stringer. But make no mistake — she knows how to dress for any occasion.

She likens being the CEO of a major symphony orchestra to “being a kid in a candy shop”; it’s her dream role. And whether she’s wearing business attire or dressed for sparkling galas, Stringer says fashion is all part of a creatively stimulating position that allows for interactions with musicians, sponsors and her “wonderful board.” It’s a job that demands her to find innovative strategies for audience expansion and fundraising opportunities.

Chatting in the living room of her vintage, two-story brick home in the heart of downtown Tallahassee, Stringer’s simple yet elegant brown and white smock top, tight slacks and black suede, high-heeled boots encompass much of how she describes her fashion sensibility.

“I am a minimalist,” she said. “I love black. I don’t wear lots of makeup or jewelry, and besides some occasional peacock blue, I really don’t wear colors.”

That may sound somber, but Stringer is anything but.

Animated and with a soft Southern lilt to her words, Stringer is a woman who’s comfortable wearing many hats. When talking about her style, she suggests “paring down” allows her to appear perfectly dressed for any occasion, from dealing with TSO budgets and programming to playing piano at home for her husband and dogs. Though, she admits, “Honestly, I’d rather be planning another TSO season than playing piano right now!”

↑ Stringer grew up playing the piano. Despite being the president of her high school class and the president of its social club, she managed to practice four hours a day. Now, she plays for her husband and their dogs in her free time when she’s not busy with TSO budgets or programming. Photo by Alicia Osborne

But piano, and music in general, have played invaluable roles in Stringer’s life. As the daughter of a pianist, she learned the discipline of piano practice early on, feeling its magic by middle school.

“I was vice president of my high school class and the president of its social club, but I still practiced four hours a day at the piano.”

She accompanied her parents, an English professor and college dean, respectively, on their academic travels and summered in London — a city she says had a “temporary” influence on her personal style.

“I bought a pair of hot pink, high-heeled boots, wore jean jackets covered with buttons and just loved U2!” she laughed.

Stringer later earned music degrees from Vanderbilt and Indiana University and her Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. She remained at OU as an assistant professor of music until 2006, when she moved to Florida to become a visiting professor at Florida State University and the manager of the Tallahassee Youth Orchestras.

“But at some point, while teaching ‘counter-point in the style of Bach,’ it occurred to me that there must be something more to life,” Stringer said.

So, she took a course through the League of American Orchestras titled “The Essentials of Orchestra Management.” In 2010, she secured her position as CEO of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, solidifying her shift into arts administration.

Photo by Alicia Osborne

She’s enjoyed many career highlights during her tenure. But she points to the production of Joel Thompson’s Seven Last Words of the Unarmed in 2019, with FAMU’s Concert Choir and the Morehouse Glee Club, as the thing that “touched (her) most.”

The “subject matter was near (to) my heart,” she said.

She’s also enjoyed some standout fashion moments, like when she donned a gold lamé sheath and pearls to a gala honoring Renee Flemming. The event also allowed her to trade her signature ponytail for a more elegant updo.

“I do love updos,” she said.

Whether wearing running shorts, working in the yard in fleece, on her knees with her puppies or in glittering gold lamé, Stringer’s confidence, passion and ease with which she carries herself solidify her citizen of style status. After all, style is more than what you wear.