Marin Alsop First Female Conductor
American Makes History Conducting the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop, the first woman to direct a major American orchestra, stepped into her new position with a performance on Sept. 27, 2007.
The first woman to direct a major American orchestra just conducted her first official concert as the Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony, with a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and John Adams’ Fearful Symmetries.
The 50-year-old Marin Alsop has been working with the Baltimore Symphony for over 2 years now, but Sept. 27 marked the first time she has appeared in the role of Music Director, when she conducted the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's opening to the 2007-2008 season.
Female Conductor Controversy
These 2 years have been marked by dissension: when in 2005 the board of directors announced their approval of Marin Alsop’s nomination for Music Director, there were quite a few musicians who felt the process should have been extended, allowing more candidates to be interviewed. Others, however, were excited about Alsop’s energy and her awareness of current trends in the classical music world.
Marin Alsop Biography
Born in Manhattan in October, 1956, Marin Alsop grew up in a professional musicians’ home. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s from the prestigious Julliard School. She served as the music director of both the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Eugene (Oregon) Symphony Orchestra before becoming the principal conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in England.
She left that post in England to join the Baltimore Symphony. Alsop has also gained some fame as the first woman to record the entire collection of Brahms’ symphonies. In July, she won the 2007 European Women of Achievement Award.
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
The BSO has quite a number of concert series in the works for the 2007-2008 season, including one entitled Composers in Conversation. This series invites contemporary composers to guest conduct the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performing their own works.
Audiences at this series will get to see John Adams, Tan Dun, HK Gruber, Aaron Jay Kernis, Mark O’Connor, Steven Mackey, Christopher Rouse, James MacMillan, John Corigliano, Thomas Adès, and Joan Tower.
Other highlights of the season will include classics such as Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony (“Eroica”), Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F, and Handel’s Concerto Grosso Op. 3, No. 2.
For more information or to purchase selected downloads of Marin Alsop performances, please read the NPR story. Any of her albums may be purchased on itunes, including recordings of the Brahms Symphonies. Also of note is Marin Alsop conducting Phillip Glass’s Heroes Symphony.
