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.

It was an evening of firsts. The trailblazing conductor Marin Alsop made her long overdue Met debut to much applause.

Alsop had Adams’ orchestrally virtuosic score locking into place at every turn.