conductor

Marin Alsop

Marin Alsop was the first woman to win the Koussevitzky Prize for conducting (in 1989) and the first conductor to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship (in 2005). She is music director laureate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chicago’s Ravinia Festival. 

Born in New York City, Alsop first studied violin at Yale University and at Juilliard School of Music, but knew from an early age that she aspired to be a conductor. In 1988 she began conducting studies with Leonard Bernstein and with Seiji Ozawa. 

Deeply committed to new music, she was music director of California’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music for 25 years, over the course of which she led 174 premieres. In addition, she was first principal conductor and then music director of the Colorado Symphony from 1993 to 2005. As music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for many years, she was the founder of OrchKids, a groundbreaking music education program for Baltimore’s most disadvantaged youth. In 2019, after seven years as music director, Alsop became conductor of honour of Brazil’s São Paulo Symphony Orchestra.

Alsop has longstanding relationships with the London Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestras, and regularly guest conducts such ensembles as The Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra and Orchestre de Paris. 

Alsop made her first appearance with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2006 in a festival devoted to Shostakovich.

image: Nancy Horowitz

Marin Alsop was the first woman to win the Koussevitzky Prize for conducting (in 1989) and the first conductor to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship (in 2005). She is music director laureate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chicago’s Ravinia Festival. 

Born in New York City, Alsop first studied violin at Yale University and at Juilliard School of Music, but knew from an early age that she aspired to be a conductor. In 1988 she began conducting studies with Leonard Bernstein and with Seiji Ozawa. 

Deeply committed to new music, she was music director of California’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music for 25 years, over the course of which she led 174 premieres. In addition, she was first principal conductor and then music director of the Colorado Symphony from 1993 to 2005. As music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for many years, she was the founder of OrchKids, a groundbreaking music education program for Baltimore’s most disadvantaged youth. In 2019, after seven years as music director, Alsop became conductor of honour of Brazil’s São Paulo Symphony Orchestra.

Alsop has longstanding relationships with the London Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestras, and regularly guest conducts such ensembles as The Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra and Orchestre de Paris. 

Alsop made her first appearance with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2006 in a festival devoted to Shostakovich.

Marin Alsop was the first woman to win the Koussevitzky Prize for conducting (in 1989) and the first conductor to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship (in 2005). She is music director laureate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chicago’s Ravinia Festival. 

Born in New York City, Alsop first studied violin at Yale University and at Juilliard School of Music, but knew from an early age that she aspired to be a conductor. In 1988 she began conducting studies with Leonard Bernstein and with Seiji Ozawa. 

Deeply committed to new music, she was music director of California’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music for 25 years, over the course of which she led 174 premieres. In addition, she was first principal conductor and then music director of the Colorado Symphony from 1993 to 2005. As music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for many years, she was the founder of OrchKids, a groundbreaking music education program for Baltimore’s most disadvantaged youth. In 2019, after seven years as music director, Alsop became conductor of honour of Brazil’s São Paulo Symphony Orchestra.

Alsop has longstanding relationships with the London Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestras, and regularly guest conducts such ensembles as The Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra and Orchestre de Paris. 

Alsop made her first appearance with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2006 in a festival devoted to Shostakovich.

image: Nancy Horowitz
image: Nancy Horowitz