Marin Alsop

From left to right, Marin Alsop conducting Yunchan Lim in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D-minor, Op. 30; conducting Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Resurrection", v. Im Tempo des Scherzo; Antonín Dvořák, Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 "From the New World”; Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade, Op. 35

As we come to the close of this month’s celebration of Women’s History, I would like to use today and tomorrow to highlight two very important women who have in their roles as conductors proven to be true trailblazers.

Marin Alsop has shown herself not only to be someone of high artistic achievement, but through her own sense of personal commitment is paving the way for a future designed to include the contributions of many other women.

One of the turning points in her career came when she was mentored by Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood. He helped to instill in her a rigorous approach to musical interpretation, as well as a philosophy of communication that made music more accessible to listeners, while helping to define her own work as a conductor.

It is that same spirit of mentorship and education that defines her approach today, as well as an international career that includes a tenure as Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, where she was the first woman to occupy the position. She was the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms in 2013, and is currently Chief Conductor of the Ravinia Festival, and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. She was also chosen to conduct the final round of the Van Cliburn Competition in 2022 and 2025.

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