BachTrack“Alsop bustled and prodded, a hive of nervous energy on the podium, driving the drama tautly. Woodwind colour included some occasionally acidic clarinet tone. Alsop drew plenty of nuance in the Adagio, while the Scherzo poked in the ribs before pulling back to a genial pace for the Trio section. The Fourth is at its most rebellious in the finale and the OAE didn’t disappoint, bows clattering percussively, bassoon jabbering raucously, while timpani and brass underlined the punchlines in red.”
The Baltimore Sun“With Alsop providing calm command, attentive to dynamic shading and rhythmic pulse, the orchestra revealed an expressive vitality that gave even the score’s slowest passages an extra tingle.”
Washington Post“Alsop did her part to keep the orchestra underneath the soloists and choir in volume, putting a dynamic focus on the words, often set so impassionately by Mozart as he raced, unsuccessfully, against his own impending death to try to finish the work.”
Evening Standard“Last night, Marin Alsop — who studied with Bernstein — juxtaposed both composers’ First Symphonies, Bernstein’s subtitled “Jeremiah”, Mahler’s “Titan”. Both were written when the composer was in his twenties and are remarkably assured. Bernstein’s isn’t often played, and Alsop proved a persuasive advocate. Like an opera overture, the symphony’s opening hinted at drama and action. The development had a plaintive quality that contrasted nicely with the second movement’s jaunty exuberance, opening out from a sinuous melodic cell. Jamie Barton delivered the climactic Lamentation, her rich mezzo alternately oracular and caressing; Alsop held precision and flexibility in careful balance.”
The Guardian“The centenary of Bernstein’s birth does not fall until next August, but in London the tributes to this larger-than-life genius have already begun, with the London Symphony Orchestra leading the way. The ensemble that Bernstein conducted more than any other in the UK, and whose president he became in 1987, kicked things off with a pair of concerts under his one-time assistant, Marin Alsop. [On the Kaddish Symphony] The composer himself revised the score several times, and there have been several attempts to rewrite the text, but Alsop opted to go back to the original; she clearly believes passionately in the viability of the Kaddish, and like her performance of the Jeremiah Symphony, it was superbly played and sung by the LSO and its Chorus, and blazed with conviction.”
Marin Alsop is one of the foremost conductors of our time – an internationally celebrated artist, pioneering leader, and influential advocate for the transformative power of music. She made history as the first woman to lead major orchestras in the United States, South America, Austria, and Great Britain, and remains the first and only conductor to have received a MacArthur Fellowship. Described by The New York Times as “a formidable musician and a powerful communicator” and “a conductor with a vision,” Alsop is renowned for her bold artistic leadership, innovative programming, commitment to education, and lifelong dedication to expanding the reach and impact of classical music.
The 2026-27 season marks Alsop’s fourth as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony; her fourth as Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra; and her third as Principal Guest Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra.
To promote and nurture the careers of fellow women conductors, Alsop founded the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship in 2002. The fellowship has grown into a global platform for identifying and empowering extraordinary women conductors by providing intensive coaching, mentorship, and financial support throughout their careers. Today, the fellowship includes 42 award recipients and 50 mentees, totaling 92 conductors working to ensure a more equitable future for classical music through their artistry and advocacy. Among them, 32 Music Director/Chief Conductor titles are held with orchestras around the world.
Season highlights include Alsop’s return to the BBC Proms with the Philharmonia Orchestra for American Classics in her role as Principal Guest Conductor. She also appears with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Budapest Festival Orchestra, and Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. As Principal Guest Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, she embarks on her second tour of Asia with the ensemble alongside piano virtuoso Yunchan Lim. Alsop will also lead the 2027 Cincinnati May Festival, one of the nation’s oldest and most distinguished choral festivals, championing both the choral-orchestral canon and contemporary works.
Alsop’s repertoire this season reflects her longstanding commitment to works of both enduring significance and contemporary relevance, spanning the great symphonic canon alongside leading American voices. She brings Britten’s War Requiem to Paris and Vienna and conducts Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony in Oslo, Berlin, San Francisco, and Budapest, while returning to Mahler in London, Tokyo, Katowice, and at Tanglewood. Continuing her longstanding advocacy for American composers, she conducts John Adams’ The Rock You Stand On and On the Transmigration of Souls with the symphonies of São Paulo, Baltimore, and Singapore, and Julia Wolfe’s Fire in My Mouth in Cincinnati and London.
In keeping with her commitment to the next generation of musicians, Alsop devotes significant time to working with students and emerging artists. She serves as Director of the Graduate Conducting Program at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and regularly conducts the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic, including a performance at Carnegie Hall as part of her Perspectives Series. Summer 2026 marked her return to Tanglewood, where she conducted the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra at the renowned Koussevitzky Music Shed for the annual Leonard Bernstein Memorial Concert. Additionally, Alsop is a regular presence on the podium of the Webern Symphony Orchestra at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in Austria.
In previous seasons, Alsop made her debut as the first woman to conduct the Webern Symphony Orchestra at Vienna’s renowned Musikverein in 2026, and made her long-awaited debut with the Berlin Philharmonic in 2025, where she became the first American-born woman to lead the orchestra. She also made history as the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the BBC Proms and remains the first American invited to guest conduct the celebrated concert three times.
Building on her longstanding relationship with Carnegie Hall, Alsop completed the 2025-26 season as a Perspectives artist, joining an elite roster of performers across disciplines who share their philosophies through a curated series of events. Her expansive series invited performances with The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Juilliard School Orchestra, London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic, and Carnegie Hall’s own Ensemble Connect, alongside additional education initiatives presented through the Weill Music Institute.
In 2021, Alsop assumed the title of Music Director Laureate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. During her 14-year tenure as Music Director, she led the orchestra on its first European tour in 13 years, released multiple award-winning recordings, and conducted more than two dozen world premieres. She also founded OrchKids, the orchestra’s groundbreaking music education program for Baltimore’s under-resourced youth. In 2019, after seven years as Music Director,
Alsop became Conductor of Honour of Brazil’s São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP). She recently concluded her six-year tenure as Chief Conductor of the Ravinia Festival, where she led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in its annual summer residencies. She was Music Director of California’s Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music for 25 years, leading 174 premieres. In 2025, Alsop was named Honorary Conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, where she served as Chief Conductor for six years.
Alsop’s discography comprises more than 200 titles, featuring music from the standard repertoire and by contemporary composers. Her 2024 album with John Adams’ City Noir was nominated for a GRAMMY Award. Alsop’s new partnership with PENTATONE will include a complete Mahler symphonic cycle, making her the first woman conductor to do so. The project will feature the Philharmonia Orchestra and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, with whom she has long-standing artistic relationships, and launches with Symphony No. 9, recorded with the Vienna RSO and scheduled for release in late 2027.
In 2025, Alsop received the Golden Baton Award, the highest accolade conferred by the League of American Orchestras. In 2019, she received the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award. She also served as the 2021-22 Harman/Eisner Artist-in-Residence of the Aspen Institute Arts Program, and 2020 Artist-in-Residence at Vienna’s University of Music and Performing Arts. In collaboration with YouTube and Google Arts & Culture, she developed and spearheaded the “Global Ode to Joy,” a crowd-sourced video project to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday in 2020.
In recent years, Alsop has made several notable on-screen appearances that have brought her work to broader audiences beyond the concert hall. She appeared twice on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2026: first in March, interviewed by guest host, P!NK, and again in May in conversation with Kelly Clarkson, where she took part in a surprise moment for an aspiring woman conductor. Alsop is also the subject of Soledad O’Brien’s documentary series She Was First, which highlights trailblazing women across fields. The Conductor, a feature documentary about Alsop’s life, debuted at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival and subsequently broadcasted on PBS and at festivals and theaters worldwide. It was nominated for an Emmy for Best Arts and Culture Documentary and received the Naples International Film Festival’s Focus on the Arts Award. The Conductor can be streamed on Apple TV, Google Play, iTunes, Prime Video, and Vimeo.
Alsop is the Director of the Graduate Conducting Program at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and holds honorary doctorates from Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, and the Juilliard School.
2026-2027
