Alsop Becomes Head Of Graduate Conducting At Peabody

Two powerhouses of Baltimore’s classical music scene are uniting—the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra music director Marin Alsop.

Though Alsop first joined the conducting faculty as a distinguished visiting artist in 2006, she has now been named head of Peabody’s graduate conducting program. She succeeds one of her mentors, Gustav Meier, who is retiring after 20 years at the music institute.

“At a time when Peabody is focusing increasingly on what it means to be a citizen-artist in the 21^st century, there is no better practitioner than Marin Alsop,” said Peabody Institute dean Fred Bronstein in a news release. “[That’s] exemplified through her commitment to education, community engagement, and an innate talent for making music meaningful to so many different audiences.”

Peabody’s conducting program is highly selective, and focuses on orchestral and wind conducting. Many graduates from the program now hold positions with prestigious ensembles in the United States and abroad.

Alsop made history here in 2006, when she became the first woman to head a major American orchestra, and has conducted at symphonies around the world. She is also the music director of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra in Brazil.

Alsop will head the BSO during its 100th season, which begins this fall. For more on the orchestra's history and centennial, check out our October issue.