Marin Alsop
The multimedia elegy for the victims of the fire, Fire in my mouth, was given its first performance in 2019. In the first concert of its residency at this year’s International Festival, the Philharmonia Orchestra gave the elegy its first UK performance under the baton of its Principal Guest Conductor, Marin Alsop.
Marin Alsop conducted, and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet has returned as soloist, playing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Thibaudet has already shown himself a superb partner for young musicians, his élan complementing their energy. Alsop’s qualities of precision and drive were also ideal, as was her own experience with the rest of this excellent program, which opened with…
Marin Alsop is the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms. ‘I feel certain that Henry Wood would see this evening as a natural progression towards more inclusion in classical music,’ says the American in her speech.
The musician on ditching the Harry Potter books, her love of Mrs Doubtfire and why her first musical influences were the Beatles and Leonard Bernstein.
Alsop sparked an ecstatic, pealing Allegro finale to smilingly hit that point home. Ending a tumultuous Saturday with a glimmer of — gasp — optimism? I’ll take it.
The music director of the National Orchestral Institute + Festival led a program of Higdon and Beethoven, joined by the Heritage Signature Chorale. (Image courtesy of Washington National Cathedral)
This programme, in the capable hands of Marin Alsop, makes strong cases for the pieces on offer, particularly the First Symphony which sports a Dutch hymn-like melody and confident, colourful orchestral writing.
Alsop and the ORF ensemble do these works absolute justice in these readings. Highly recommended.
Only four women conducted the Metropolitan Opera in its first 133 years ending in 2016, but now four women have taken the baton in a one-week span.
Alsop has had enviable success, and was the first female conductor to lead a top American orchestra. She wants to take another step up.
