Marin Alsop became the first woman to hold a major American conducting post when she became the principal conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 2007, and she has also had a significant career abroad. Alsop is one of the few top conductors whose activities have extended into jazz.
Alsop was born in New York on October 16, 1956. Her parents were both musicians, and her father performed with the easy listening orchestra Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians. Alsop attended Yale University and also earned a violin performance degree from the Juilliard School. An admirer o...