Timeline

2022

Awarded the Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award for the Elevation of Music in Society by the Longy School

Documentary The Conductor scheduled for national release on PBS on March 25, 2022 after theatrical openings in NYC and LA

US release of second recording with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony (music of Hans Werner Henze) selected by the NYTimes as stand out recording

Contract with the Ravinia Festival extended through 2025

Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship(TACF www.takialsop.org) announce 6 new prize winners (bringing total to 30) and a global concert series to celebrate 20^th anniversary

2021

The Conductor, documentary about Alsop’s life, debuted at New York’s 2021 Tribeca Film Festival

US release of Hindemith collection for Naxos, her first recording as Chief Conductor of ORF Vienna Radio Symphony

Named 2021 “Classical Woman of the Year” by American Public Media’s Performance Today

Commencement speaker at Juilliard and receives Honorary Doctorate Degree

Named the 2021/22 Harman/Eisner Artist in Residence at the Aspen Institute

2020

The digital Global Ode to Joy is launched, celebrating the legacy of Beethoven in collaboration with Google Arts and Culture and thirty-two institutional partners.

Named Chief Conductor and Curator, Ravinia Festival

Named first Music Director of National Institute + Festival at University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

2019

Received Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum, Davos

Appointed Chief Conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra

First woman to head a Viennese Orchestra

Led São Paulo Symphony Orchestra on a 5-date tour of China

Karina Canellakis, a past Taki Concordia Conducting Fellow, makes history as the first women to open the BBC First Night of the Proms

2018

Celebrated Leonard Bernstein’s centenary with concerts around the world including Baltimore, New York, São Paulo, Israel, London, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Dublin and Chicago, 100th anniversary celebrations

Bernstein box set released on Naxos

Received the Association of British Orchestras Award

Led the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on a European Tour, the orchestra’s first overseas tour in thirteen years

2017

Accepted title of Conductor of Honor with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra to begin in 2020

Received the Ditson Conductor’s Award for the Advancement of American music

2016

Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Yale University

2015

Appointed Director of Graduate Conducting Program at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins

São Paulo Symphony Orchestra Music Director contract extended through 2019
Awarded Harvard University’s Luise Vosgerchian Teaching Award

Established and awarded four students the Alsop Entrepreneurship Award, a prize to fund innovative projects in music entrepreneurship (an annual award)

2014

Presented with Honorary Membership of the Royal Philharmonic Society in recognition of her outstanding services to music

Led the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra on a tour of Brazil’s state capitals to mark the orchestra’s 60th anniversary

Received the Champion of New Music Award from the American Composers Forum

Took part in the Southbank Centre’s War Requiem project, conducting Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem commemorating the centenary of WWI

Appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs

2013

Led the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra on a 15-date tour of Europex

First woman to conduct the Last Night of the BBC Proms

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Music Director contract extended through 2021

2012

Made her Viennese debut with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra at the Musikverein

Appointed Principal Conductor of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra

Led the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra on a European tour, with acclaimed performances at the BBC Proms in London (first Brazilian orchestra to play at the BBC Proms) and at the Concertgebouw’s Robeco Summer Concerts in Amsterdam

Began a Naxos recording Prokofiev Symphony cycle with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and awarded Orchestral Choice in BBC Music Magazine

Presented with Honorary Membership (HonRAM) of the Royal Academy of Music, London

2010

Wins a Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition recording of Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Colin Currie

Brings Rusty Musicians, an outreach program for adult amateur musicians, to Baltimore

2011

Became Artist in Residence at London’s Southbank Centre for the 2011/2012 season

Named in the Guardian’s list of “Top 100 Women”

First woman in its 230-year history to conduct at Teatro alla Scala, Italy

2009

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra tenure extended to 2015

Curated a season-long project celebrating Leonard Bernstein as Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre 2009/10 season

Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Album for the critically acclaimed recording of Bernstein’s Mass

Chosen as Musical America’s Conductor of the Year

2008

Carnegie Hall Debut (with the Baltimore Symphony)

Launched OrchKids, the Baltimore Symphony educational program

Elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

2007

Inaugural concerts as Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony

Final CD in Brahms Symphony cycle with the London Philharmonic Orchestra released on Naxos

Wins European Women of Achievement Award

2005

Awarded a MacArthur Fellowship

2004

Began recording a Brahms cycle for Naxos with the London Philharmonic Orchestra

Led first major US revival of Adams’s Nixon in China with Opera Theater of St. Louis

Led semi-staged production of Bernstein’s Candide with the New York Philharmonic

2003

First artist to win both the Gramophone Magazine’s Artist of the Year award and the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Conductor Award in one year

2002

Began first season in Bournemouth with the Times (London) writing “Alsop has…made her orchestra play like there was no tomorrow.”

Adds nine BBC Radio 3 broadcasts to the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra schedule

2001

Appointed Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra beginning in the 2002-03 season

2000

Under Marin’s programming, the Colorado Symphony wins 1st prize from The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)

1999

Appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Glasgow) and began recording the complete works of Samuel Barber in a six-CD series for Naxos

1998

Received Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, State of Colorado

1997

Received distinguished Service Award from the University of Oregon

Under Marin’s programming, the Colorado Symphony wins 1st prize from The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)

1996

Accepted title of Conductor Laureate with the Eugene Symphony

1995

Awarded Honorary Doctorate of Letters degree by Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA

1994

Accepted position of Creative Conductor Chair with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

1993

Appointed Music Director of the Colorado Symphony (Denver)

Too Hot to Handel received its world premiere at the Lincoln Center with the Concordia Orchestra (for more information click here)

1992

Appointed Music Director of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music

Cabrillo won the national ASCAP Award for Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music every year under Alsop’s direction

1990

Accompanied Leonard Bernstein to Japan as he establishes the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo

Debuted with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic

1989

First and only woman awarded the Koussevitsky Conducting prize by the Tanglewood Music Center

Appointed Music Director of the Eugene Symphony Orchestra

Awarded the Leonard Bernstein Conducting Fellowship to the Tanglewood Music Center where she becomes a student of Leonard Bernstein, Gustav Meier and Seiji Ozawa

Appointed Associate Conductor of the Richmond Symphony (Richmond, Virginia)

1985

Began conducting studies with Harold Farberman

1984

Established and led as Music Director the Concordia Orchestra in New York City. Schedule included a three-concert series at the Pierpont Morgan Library and two concerts at Lincoln Center

1981

Established and led String Fever, a 10-piece string swing band (for more information click here)

1979

Began conducting studies with Carl Bamberger

1976

Began freelancing as a violinist in New York City, performing with the New York Philharmonic, the New York City Ballet, Mostly Mozart, the New York Chamber Symphony, the American Composers Orchestra, as well as Broadway shows including Sweeney Todd and Showboat. Also began studio work, playing on numerous film scores, popular albums, and television commercials

1975

Transferred to the Juilliard School and completed a Bachelor of Music in 1977 and Master’s Degree in 1978, both in violin performance

1972

Entered Yale University, class of 1977 (age 16)

1968

Entered the Masters School (age 12)

1965

Watched Leonard Bernstein conduct the New York Philharmonic and decided she wanted to become a conductor (age 9)

1963

Entered Juilliard Pre-College (age 7)

1961

Began violin studies (age 5)

1958

Began piano studies (age 2)

1956

Born October 16, in New York City, to Ruth and LaMar Alsop, professional musicians. LaMar was concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and Ruth was a cellist in the same orchestra