Mantea Kapatanakes Schmid was born in Rockford, Illinois, grew up in South Bend, Indiana, and is a proud graduate of Indiana University—where she continues to celebrate IU’s National Football Championship. The daughter and granddaughter of Greek immigrants, she values the rich blend of Greek and American heritage that has shaped her life and her commitment to community service. Though she cheerfully admits her musical talents are best confined to the shower, Mantea has been a devoted arts advocate since the mid-1980s, when she joined the Junior Board of the Quad City Symphony and quickly learned that passion and dedication are as vital to arts leadership as musical ability.
Since moving to Dubuque in 1989 with her husband, Jack, Mantea has become one of the community’s most influential arts leaders. She is a past president of both the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and its League Board of Directors —among her proudest accomplishments—and has also served as Board president of the Dubuque Museum of Art and the Dubuque Arts Council. A longtime champion of the DSO’s diverse programming, she delights in its ability to inspire audiences across genres. While Jack and their son Alex have both taken a turn conducting the orchestra, Mantea eagerly awaits her own moment on the podium. Above all, she believes that regardless of who wins Pursuit of the Podium, the true winner is the Dubuque community, enriched by its extraordinary symphony.
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