Marin Alsop, Trailblazing Conductor — “Success means pursuing a career that inspires you —
brings passion to your life and totally absorbs your energy.”
Marin Alsop is the first woman to conduct a major orchestra in the United States, Britain, Austria, and South America. She serves as the chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.
The first honoree for LGBT History Month 2023, Alsop was born in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Her parents were professional string players. Alsop began playing
the violin at age 5 and was accepted into the Julliard Pre-College Program at age 7. When she was 9, her father took her to see the renowned conductor Leonard Bernstein. The experience so inspired her, she told her violin teacher she wanted to conduct. The teacher cautioned her that “girls can’t do that.”
At age 16, Alsop entered Yale University as a math major. She transferred to Julliard
to pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree in violin, graduating in 1978. During
college, she performed with the New York Philharmonic and the New York Ballet.
Alsop auditioned three times for Julliard’s conducting program but was rejected.
