Marin Alsop
Encyclopedia
Marin Alsop is an American
conductor and violinist. She is the music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
.
In 2012, Alsop will replace Yan Pascal Tortelier
as principal conductor of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra.
, but later transferred to the Juilliard School
, where she earned a bachelor's
and a master's degree
in violin
. She founded the string ensemble String Fever in 1981. She won the Koussevitzky Prize as outstanding student conductor at the Tanglewood
Music Center in 1989.
, since 1992. The festival specializes in contemporary orchestral music. From 1993 to 2005, she was first principal conductor and then music director of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra
. She is now the orchestra's conductor laureate. Alsop has also served as music director of the Eugene Symphony
in Eugene, Oregon
. She was associate conductor of the Richmond Symphony in Richmond, Virginia
, from 1988 to 1990. On September 20, 2005, Alsop became the first conductor ever to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.
(BSO), having been named Music Director Designate for the 2006-07 concert season. Her selection is noteworthy because Alsop is the first woman to hold this position with a major American orchestra. The initial controversy surrounding her choice stemmed from significant resistance from the orchestra's players, who insisted they had not had enough voice in the search process. The orchestra and Alsop met after the announcement and apparently smoothed over some of their differences. In June 2009, the orchestra announced the extension of her contract for another five years, through August 2015.
Since she became music director, Alsop's initiatives with the Baltimore Symphony have included the "Webumentary Film Series" and a free iTunes podcast, "Clueless About Classical." She recently announced a new educational program called "OrchKids", in which underprivileged Baltimore children will receive free music instruction, based on Venezuela's El Sistema
program. Alsop was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 2008.
and with the City of London Sinfonia
. Alsop became Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
in 2002 and served in the post until 2008. She was voted Gramophone
magazine's Artist of the Year in 2003 and won the Royal Philharmonic Society
's conductor's award in the same season. In April 2007, Alsop was one of eight conductors of British orchestras to endorse the 10-year classical music outreach manifesto, "Building on Excellence: Orchestras for the 21st Century", to increase the presence of classical music in the UK, including giving free entry to all British schoolchildren to a classical music concert. Alsop received an honorary degree of Doctor of Music from Bournemouth University
on 7 November 2007.
Alsop is noted for her advocacy and interpretations of American music, but is establishing her reputation in the core symphonic repertory as well. She is the first woman to record the complete cycle of symphonies by Brahms (recorded with the London Philharmonic for Naxos Records
). She is also the first woman conductor to have recorded a Mahler symphony with a major orchestra, the Fifth Symphony
with the London Symphony Orchestra
on the LSO Live label.
During the final round of the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition
session 2010 for piano
, she conducted the National Orchestra of Belgium
, accompanying the twelve finalists in Target by the South Korea
n composer
Jeon Minje, winner of the 2009 composition competition, and in the concerto
of their choice.
In January 2011 Alsop was appointed as an Artist in Residence at London's Southbank Centre for the 2011-12 season.
has been Kristin Jurkscheit, a horn
player. They have a son and Alsop has spoken publicly about her family. While Alsop was conducting the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, of which her partner was a member, their relationship provoked controversy, though Alsop replied that the relationship predated her appointment to lead the orchestra and had no bearing on her job performance.
in a selection of works by Samuel Barber
, which was released as part of the American Classics Series on Naxos. This disc was followed by four more released between 2001–2004 dedicated to the works of Samuel Barber.
In 2003, Marin Alsop released her first disc of Leonard Bernstein
which she recorded with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
and Chorus. This featured the Symphonic Suite from the film On The Waterfront as well as Three Dance Episodes from On The Town. Following this in 2005, Alsop’s fully staged production of Bernstein’s Candide with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra was nominated for an Emmy Award (DVD: PBS Great Performances/ Image Entertainment).
In June 2006, during her tenure as music director designate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Alsop led the Orchestra and violinist Joshua Bell in John Corigliano’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, The Red Violin, recorded by Sony Classics and released in September 2007. Also in her designate term, she conducted the Orchestra in Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, an acclaimed performance that became the Orchestra’s first-ever live-recording release on iTunes and quickly became the number one classical download.
One of Alsop’s first projects as Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
was the Dvořák
symphonic cycle, recorded on the Naxos label. The first disc in the series, featuring Symphony No. 9, From the New World, and Symphonic Variations, was released in February 2008. Of this release, BBC Music Magazine said, “It is rare to be able to say that a performance forces one to listen to a work anew, but this is exactly what Alsop’s reading achieves.” The disk was also nominated for BBC Music Magazine’s 2008 Album of the Year.
Other highlights of Alsop’s recording collaboration with Naxos include a Brahms symphony cycle with the London Philharmonic Orchestra
and an ongoing series of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra recordings, which include Bartók’s Miraculous Mandarin, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and the symphonies of Kurt Weill
.
In 2009, Marin released a critically acclaimed recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra that earned a Grammy nomination for Best Classical Album and in 2010, Marin Alsop‘s recording of Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and soloist Colin Currie(2008) won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition.
Other recent releases include Dvorak symphonies 7 & 8 with Baltimore, “Nixon in China” and works by Harris, Copland and Barber, all on the Naxos label.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
conductor and violinist. She is the music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a professional American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland.In September 2007, Maestra Marin Alsop led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s twelfth music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra.The BSO Board...
.
In 2012, Alsop will replace Yan Pascal Tortelier
Yan Pascal Tortelier
Yan Pascal Tortelier is an internationally renowned French conductor and violinist and is the son of the late cellist Paul Tortelier.-Biography:...
as principal conductor of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra.
Early life and education
Alsop was born in New York City to professional musician parents. She attended Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, but later transferred to the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
, where she earned a bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
. She founded the string ensemble String Fever in 1981. She won the Koussevitzky Prize as outstanding student conductor at the Tanglewood
Tanglewood
Tanglewood is an estate and music venue in Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is the home of the annual summer Tanglewood Music Festival and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, and has been the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home since 1937. It was the venue of the Berkshire Festival.- History...
Music Center in 1989.
Early career
Alsop has been music director of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, CaliforniaSanta Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
, since 1992. The festival specializes in contemporary orchestral music. From 1993 to 2005, she was first principal conductor and then music director of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra
Colorado Symphony Orchestra
Colorado’s only full-time professional orchestra, the Colorado Symphony embraces a tradition of musical excellence by presenting a diverse array of symphonic performances throughout the year...
. She is now the orchestra's conductor laureate. Alsop has also served as music director of the Eugene Symphony
Eugene Symphony
The Eugene Symphony is an American orchestra based in Eugene, Oregon. Its home venue is the Silva Concert Hall at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts.Approximately 27,000 people attend Eugene Symphony's classical and pops concert performances each year....
in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
. She was associate conductor of the Richmond Symphony in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, from 1988 to 1990. On September 20, 2005, Alsop became the first conductor ever to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
In September 2007, Alsop was appointed the 12th music director of the Baltimore Symphony OrchestraBaltimore Symphony Orchestra
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a professional American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland.In September 2007, Maestra Marin Alsop led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s twelfth music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra.The BSO Board...
(BSO), having been named Music Director Designate for the 2006-07 concert season. Her selection is noteworthy because Alsop is the first woman to hold this position with a major American orchestra. The initial controversy surrounding her choice stemmed from significant resistance from the orchestra's players, who insisted they had not had enough voice in the search process. The orchestra and Alsop met after the announcement and apparently smoothed over some of their differences. In June 2009, the orchestra announced the extension of her contract for another five years, through August 2015.
Since she became music director, Alsop's initiatives with the Baltimore Symphony have included the "Webumentary Film Series" and a free iTunes podcast, "Clueless About Classical." She recently announced a new educational program called "OrchKids", in which underprivileged Baltimore children will receive free music instruction, based on Venezuela's El Sistema
El Sistema
El Sistema is a publicly financed voluntary sector music education program in Venezuela, originally called Social Action for Music. Its official name is Fundación del Estado para el Sistema Nacional de las Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela, , and sometimes translated to English as...
program. Alsop was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 2008.
Europe
In the UK, Alsop has served as principal guest conductor with the Royal Scottish National OrchestraRoyal Scottish National Orchestra
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is Scotland's national symphony orchestra. Based in Glasgow, the 89-member professional orchestra also regularly performs in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, and abroad. Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company has performed full-time since 1950,...
and with the City of London Sinfonia
City of London Sinfonia
The City of London Sinfonia is an English chamber orchestra based in London. In London, the CLS performs regularly at Cadogan Hall and St Paul's Cathedral. It is also the resident orchestra at Opera Holland Park. The CLS has annual residencies in four towns in Southern England: Ipswich, King's...
. Alsop became Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is an English orchestra. Originally based in Bournemouth, the BSO moved its offices to the adjacent town of Poole in 1979....
in 2002 and served in the post until 2008. She was voted Gramophone
The Gramophone
Gramophone is a magazine published monthly in London by Haymarket devoted to classical music and jazz, particularly recordings. It was founded in 1923 by the Scottish author Compton Mackenzie...
magazine's Artist of the Year in 2003 and won the Royal Philharmonic Society
Royal Philharmonic Society
The Royal Philharmonic Society is a British music society, formed in 1813. It was originally formed in London to promote performances of instrumental music there. Many distinguished composers and performers have taken part in its concerts...
's conductor's award in the same season. In April 2007, Alsop was one of eight conductors of British orchestras to endorse the 10-year classical music outreach manifesto, "Building on Excellence: Orchestras for the 21st Century", to increase the presence of classical music in the UK, including giving free entry to all British schoolchildren to a classical music concert. Alsop received an honorary degree of Doctor of Music from Bournemouth University
Bournemouth University
Bournemouth University is a university in and around the large south coast town of Bournemouth, UK...
on 7 November 2007.
Alsop is noted for her advocacy and interpretations of American music, but is establishing her reputation in the core symphonic repertory as well. She is the first woman to record the complete cycle of symphonies by Brahms (recorded with the London Philharmonic for Naxos Records
Naxos Records
Naxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
). She is also the first woman conductor to have recorded a Mahler symphony with a major orchestra, the Fifth Symphony
Symphony No. 5 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor by Gustav Mahler was composed in 1901 and 1902, mostly during the summer months at Mahler's cottage at Maiernigg. Among its most distinctive features are the funereal trumpet solo that opens the work and the frequently performed Adagietto.The musical canvas and...
with the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
on the LSO Live label.
During the final round of the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition
Queen Elisabeth Music Competition
The Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, a founding member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions has been, since its foundation, considered the world over to be one of the most prestigious and most difficult. It is devoted to violin , piano , to composition and to singing...
session 2010 for piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, she conducted the National Orchestra of Belgium
National Orchestra of Belgium
The Nationaal Orkest van België or Orchestre National de Belgique is the oldest of two major orchestras now in Belgium, along with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège....
, accompanying the twelve finalists in Target by the South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Jeon Minje, winner of the 2009 composition competition, and in the concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
of their choice.
In January 2011 Alsop was appointed as an Artist in Residence at London's Southbank Centre for the 2011-12 season.
Personal life
Since 1990, Alsop's partnerDomestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
has been Kristin Jurkscheit, a horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
player. They have a son and Alsop has spoken publicly about her family. While Alsop was conducting the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, of which her partner was a member, their relationship provoked controversy, though Alsop replied that the relationship predated her appointment to lead the orchestra and had no bearing on her job performance.
Discography
Marin Alsop conducted her first recording in 2000 with the Royal Scottish National OrchestraRoyal Scottish National Orchestra
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is Scotland's national symphony orchestra. Based in Glasgow, the 89-member professional orchestra also regularly performs in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, and abroad. Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company has performed full-time since 1950,...
in a selection of works by Samuel Barber
Samuel Barber
Samuel Osborne Barber II was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. His Adagio for Strings is his most popular composition and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music...
, which was released as part of the American Classics Series on Naxos. This disc was followed by four more released between 2001–2004 dedicated to the works of Samuel Barber.
In 2003, Marin Alsop released her first disc of Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
which she recorded with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is an English orchestra. Originally based in Bournemouth, the BSO moved its offices to the adjacent town of Poole in 1979....
and Chorus. This featured the Symphonic Suite from the film On The Waterfront as well as Three Dance Episodes from On The Town. Following this in 2005, Alsop’s fully staged production of Bernstein’s Candide with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra was nominated for an Emmy Award (DVD: PBS Great Performances/ Image Entertainment).
In June 2006, during her tenure as music director designate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Alsop led the Orchestra and violinist Joshua Bell in John Corigliano’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, The Red Violin, recorded by Sony Classics and released in September 2007. Also in her designate term, she conducted the Orchestra in Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, an acclaimed performance that became the Orchestra’s first-ever live-recording release on iTunes and quickly became the number one classical download.
One of Alsop’s first projects as Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a professional American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland.In September 2007, Maestra Marin Alsop led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s twelfth music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra.The BSO Board...
was the Dvořák
Dvorák
- Dvořák or Dvorak :* Ann Dvorak , American film actress* Antonín Dvořák , Czech composer of Romantic music* August Dvorak , American psychologist, co-creator of the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard...
symphonic cycle, recorded on the Naxos label. The first disc in the series, featuring Symphony No. 9, From the New World, and Symphonic Variations, was released in February 2008. Of this release, BBC Music Magazine said, “It is rare to be able to say that a performance forces one to listen to a work anew, but this is exactly what Alsop’s reading achieves.” The disk was also nominated for BBC Music Magazine’s 2008 Album of the Year.
Other highlights of Alsop’s recording collaboration with Naxos include a Brahms symphony cycle with the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
and an ongoing series of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra recordings, which include Bartók’s Miraculous Mandarin, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and the symphonies of Kurt Weill
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
.
In 2009, Marin released a critically acclaimed recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra that earned a Grammy nomination for Best Classical Album and in 2010, Marin Alsop‘s recording of Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and soloist Colin Currie(2008) won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition.
Other recent releases include Dvorak symphonies 7 & 8 with Baltimore, “Nixon in China” and works by Harris, Copland and Barber, all on the Naxos label.
External links
- www.marinalsop.com – her official website
- Baltimore Symphony Orchestra homepage
- Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music homepage
- MacArthur Fellowship biography page
- biography and discography at Naxos.com
- Alsop on Music (NPR)
- NewMusicBox cover: Marin Alsop in conversation with Frank J. Oteri, April 25, 2006 (includes video)
- Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition official website
- Classical Archives Interview about Cabrillo Festival
- Classical Archives Interview about Bernstein Mass