Conductor Marin Alsop made history with her appointment as the Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony, becoming the first woman to head a major American orchestra. Called a “born communicator and effective proselytizer for music” by The New York Times and a “lively entertainer as well as a powerhouse musician” by The San Francisco Chronicle, Alsop has spent a lifetime dedicated to music.
She began playing piano at 2, violin at 5, entered Julliard pre-college at 7, decided to become a conductor at 9, and at 16 entered Yale. In 1991 she made her professional conducting debuts at the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic where she continues as a regular guest conductor, along with the New York Philharmonic and the London Symphony.
Winner of Gramophone’s “Artist of the Year” award, Alsop was the first conductor to be named a MacArthur Fellow. In 2006 she was the only classical musician invited to attend the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Alsop has been profiled in TIME and named one of “America’s Most Powerful Women” by Newsweek. She can be heard regularly as a commentator on NPR’s Weekend Edition program, “Marin on Music,” BBC’s Radio 3 and XM Satellite Radio.
In Baltimore Alsop has been credited with reinvigorating the orchestra and leading a major community outreach effort that has generated tremendous excitement. She is currently at work on a book about leadership.
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Music Director, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra