Marin Alsop, pioneering female orchestral conductor, talks gender equality and rising to the top in a male world
- The first female music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Alsop will conduct the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra in Hong Kong
- She gives her thoughts on touring China and the state of classical music today
Star conductor Marin Alsop will be leading the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra in two eclectic programmes at the Hong Kong Arts Festival this week.
Ahead of the concerts at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, in Tsim Sha Tsui, we caught up with her in Beijing to talk about breaking the glass ceiling in the male-dominated classical music world, her first tour in China (Shanghai, Jinan, Beijing and Hong Kong), and the development of classical music today.
This is the first time you have conducted in China. How has your stay been so far?
It’s great. The whole experience was lovely. There’s a developing audience [in classical music] in Jinan. They are very warm and receptive. So we’re having a good time. The musicians are enjoying themselves.
One of the programmes started with Leonard Bernstein’s Candide Overture, followed by two works by Brazilian and Argentine composers. Why were these works selected?
The presenters were interested in some repertoire that would highlight the spirit of the Brazilian people. South American music is very rhythmic and fiery. It has a lot of folk elements. The combination is very romantic and passionate. It’s not too difficult a repertoire for the Chinese audience. The music is very listenable and accessible.
