A Conversation with Sean Hickey

A true multihyphenate, Sean Hickey is an active composer and arranger, an instrumentalist, and a record label executive, currently serving as Managing Director of Pentatone Music, one of the world’s leading independent classical labels. In this public talk, MUSICIAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE TOOLS OF CULTURAL DIPLOMACY, he will share insights drawn from his 35 years on both sides of the business, exploring how today’s artists can navigate a fractured media landscape, the rise of Big Tech, and the ubiquity of AI while using the many tools available to best promote their work. Hickey will also discuss the idea of soft power—how music, in a fractured world, can and should offer escape, comfort, and motivation—and on the importance of centering culture as a tool of diplomacy on the world stage.