Marin Alsop

Marin Alsop
Alsop, on the right, at a charity function in Baltimore
Background information
Born	(1956-10-16) October 16, 1956 (age 60) New York City
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

Marin Alsop (born October 16, 1956) is an American conductor and violinist. ['Mɛər.ɪn 'ɔːl.sɑːp ] She is the music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and music director of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra.

Alsop was born in New York City to professional musician parents, and was educated at the Masters School. She attended Yale University, 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. In 1984, Alsop founded Concordia, a 50-piece orchestra specializing in 20th century American music. She won the Koussevitzky Prize as outstanding student conductor at the Tanglewood Music Center in 1989, where she met her hero and future mentor Leonard Bernstein.

Alsop has been music director of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, California, since 1992. The festival specializes in contemporary orchestral music. In fall 2015, Cabrillo announced that Alsop would step down following the 2016 Festival. From 1993 to 2005, she was first principal conductor and then music director of the Colorado Symphony. She is now the orchestra's conductor laureate. Alsop has also served as associate conductor of the Richmond Symphony in Richmond, Virginia from 1988 to 1990, music director of the Eugene Symphony in Eugene, Oregon from 1989 to 1996. and Creative Conductor Chair for the St. Louis Symphony from 1994 to 1996. In 2002, Alsop started the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship for promising women conductors. By 2009, the Fellowship expanded into a two year award that provides 6 weeks of conducting experience with different orchestras, as well as exposure to other aspects of leading an orchestra such as fundraising and management. As of 2013, three of Alsop's fellows have gone on to become music directors. On September 20, 2005, Alsop became the first conductor ever to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.