Marin Alsop’s influence at Ravinia became tangible in 2022 during her second summer at the festival. As the first woman to lead major orchestras in several regions, Alsop initiated Breaking Barriers, a special festival segment aimed at dismantling gender barriers. The inaugural event highlighted female conductors.
Alsop recalls the impact when families engaged with the display of 100 women conductors. She departs Ravinia after six years, marking her tenure by guiding the Chicago Symphony through post-pandemic performances and into the renovated Hunter Pavilion. Breaking Barriers stands out, bringing together women professionals from male-dominated fields like science, culinary arts, and music composition.
This year’s focus is on film music, co-curated by composer Laura Karpman, Alsop’s friend and Juilliard classmate. Karpman studied under serialist Milton Babbitt before reaching audiences with work in the Marvel franchise. Alsop praises Karpman’s versatility in music composition.
“Laura is a chameleon, capable of writing in any style and embracing diverse genres,” Alsop states.
Every year, the Breaking Barriers series also acts as a summit for recipients of the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship, Alsop’s program for mentoring women conductors. Participants have enjoyed podium time at the festival and maintain connections via WhatsApp.
Ravinia president Jeff Haydon notes the fellowship’s communal atmosphere, comparing it to a sorority where close bonds were formed. Although Alsop is leaving Ravinia, the Taki Alsop summit continues, with plans to hold it at Prague Summer Nights in the future.
The fellowship’s shift to Europe is logical, given Alsop’s leading roles in Polish and British orchestras and her honorary position with Vienna Radio Symphony. Alsop remains active in American music, with faculty ties at Peabody Institute and plans to lead the Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2027/28 season.
Alsop will reimagine Beethoven’s “Fidelio” with sociologist Reuben Jonathan Miller, introducing new characters to enhance existing ones and connecting to modern political issues. This project echoes her tenure at Ravinia, where she integrated classics with contemporary elements.
In 2023, Alsop presented Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 alongside West African drumming and jazz, while an upcoming program features Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony and Carlos Simon’s “Good News Mass.”
Her approach contrasts with the downtown Chicago Symphony Orchestra and is credited for revitalizing the festival. Clarinetist John Bruce Yeh praises Alsop’s ambitious programming. Bassoonist Miles Maner admires her wide-ranging taste in orchestral music and dedication to supporting underrepresented musicians.
Alsop has nearly completed a Mahler symphony cycle, planning to record all but the Third and Seventh symphonies. She will become the first woman to record a full Mahler cycle.
Alsop acknowledges the challenge of programming Mahler at an outdoor venue, balancing lightness with the opportunity to introduce audiences to complex music. Her work at Ravinia reflects her ongoing mission to break barriers in conducting.
Though there’s progress with women now leading major American orchestras, challenges persist. Alsop emphasizes the importance of united efforts to evolve the industry’s landscape.
Following Alsop’s departure, Ravinia won’t name a new chief conductor immediately. The festival plans to feature yearly artists-in-residence, akin to a model used by the Ojai Music Festival. These artists, with longstanding ties to Ravinia, will curate diverse programming.
Ravinia is even considering incorporating pop artists as curators. Haydon mentions Kurt Elling’s advisory role for Ravinia’s jazz segment.
Upcoming performances by Alsop include programs featuring Beethoven, Mahler’s Sixth Symphony, and film music. Details are available at ravinia.org.
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