Marin Alsop facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marin Alsop
Alsop, on the right, at a charity function in Baltimore in 2016
Background information
Born	(1956-10-16) October 16, 1956 (age 68) New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	Classical
Occupation(s)	Conductor
Instruments	Violin
Associated acts	Colorado Symphony; Eugene Symphony; Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra; Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo; Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra

Marin Alsop (born October 16, 1956) is an American conductor. A conductor leads an orchestra or choir, guiding the musicians to play together. Marin Alsop is famous for being the first woman to achieve many important things in the world of classical music. For example, she was the first woman to win the Koussevitzky Prize for conducting. She was also the first conductor to receive a special award called a MacArthur Fellowship.

Today, she is the chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. She also leads the Ravinia Festival and is the music director laureate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Early Life and Education

Marin Alsop was born in New York City. Her parents, Ruth and Keith Alsop, were both professional musicians who played string instruments. Marin grew up in Manhattan.

Learning Music

She went to the Masters School and studied the violin at the Juilliard School's Pre-College Division. She finished there in 1972. Later, she went to Yale University to study mathematics. But her love for music brought her back to Juilliard. There, she earned her degrees in violin in 1977 and 1978. While studying, she played with famous groups like the New York Philharmonic.

In 2021, Marin Alsop gave a speech at Juilliard's graduation ceremony. She also received an honorary Doctor of Music degree.

Career Highlights

Starting Out as a Conductor

Marin Alsop tried three times to get into Juilliard's conducting program but didn't get in. This didn't stop her! In 1981, she started her own group called the New York String Ensemble. She also created String Fever, a jazz group with only women. In 1984, she founded Concordia, a 50-piece orchestra that played American music from the 20th century.

In 1989, she won the Koussevitzky Prize at the Tanglewood Music Center. This award is for outstanding student conductors. She was the first woman ever to win it. At Tanglewood, she met Leonard Bernstein, who was a famous conductor and became her mentor.

Leading Orchestras in the US

From 1992 to 2016, Alsop was the music director of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. She also led the Colorado Symphony from 1993 to 2005. She was the music director of the Eugene Symphony from 1989 to 1996.

In 2002, she helped start the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship. This program helps female conductors develop their skills. In 2005, Marin Alsop became the first conductor to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. This is a very special award given to talented people in many fields.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

In 2005, Marin Alsop was chosen to be the 12th music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She was the first woman to lead a major American orchestra. There were some initial discussions among the orchestra members about her appointment. However, Alsop worked hard to address their concerns and built a strong relationship with the musicians.

She led the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra until 2021. During her time there, she started many new programs. These included the Webumentary Film Series and a free podcast called Clueless About Classical. She also created the OrchKids program, which helps children in Baltimore who might not otherwise have access to music education.

In 2015, Alsop also became the director of graduate conducting at the Peabody Institute.

Other US Roles

In 2020, the Ravinia Festival named Marin Alsop as its first chief conductor. Her contract there was extended through 2025. In 2024, she was also appointed as the next principal guest conductor for The Philadelphia Orchestra.

International Career

Alsop with OSESP

Marin Alsop has also conducted many orchestras outside the United States. In the UK, she was the Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra from 2002 to 2008. She was the first female principal conductor for that orchestra. In 2003, Gramophone magazine named her Artist of the Year.

In 2013, she made history again by becoming the first woman to conduct at the famous Last Night of the Proms in London. She returned to conduct this event in 2015 and 2023.

Leading in Brazil and Austria

In 2012, Alsop became the principal conductor of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra (OSESP) in Brazil. She was the first woman to hold this position. She led the orchestra on its first European tour, including its first performance at the Proms in 2012. She continued to lead OSESP until 2019.

In 2019, Marin Alsop became the first female chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra in Austria. Since 2020, she has also been an artist in residence at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. In 2023, she was named the artistic director and chief conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, again being the first woman to hold these roles.

Recordings

Marin Alsop has made many recordings of classical music. Her first recording was in 2000 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, featuring music by Samuel Barber. She has recorded many works by Barber, Dvořák, Johannes Brahms, and Leonard Bernstein.

In 2009, her recording of Leonard Bernstein's Mass with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2010, her recording of Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition.

She has recorded complete symphony cycles, like the Brahms symphonies with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. This was the first time a female conductor had commercially recorded all of Brahms' symphonies.

Honors and Achievements

Marin Alsop has received many awards and honors throughout her career.

Grammy Awards

Emmy Awards

Other Awards

See also

In Spanish: Marin Alsop para niños