Marin Alsop - Europe

Europe

In the UK, Alsop has served as principal guest conductor with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and with the City of London Sinfonia. Alsop became Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in 2002 and served in the post until 2008. She was voted Gramophone magazine's Artist of the Year in 2003 and won the Royal Philharmonic Society's conductor's award in the same season. In April 2007, Alsop was one of eight conductors of British orchestras to endorse the 10-year classical music outreach manifesto, "Building on Excellence: Orchestras for the 21st Century", to increase the presence of classical music in the UK, including giving free entry to all British schoolchildren to a classical music concert. Alsop received an honorary degree of Doctor of Music from Bournemouth University on 7 November 2007.

Alsop is noted for her advocacy and interpretations of American music, but is establishing her reputation in the core symphonic repertory as well. She is the first woman to record the complete cycle of symphonies by Brahms (recorded with the London Philharmonic for Naxos Records). She is also the first woman conductor to have recorded a Mahler symphony with a major orchestra, the Fifth Symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra on the LSO Live label.

During the final round of the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition session 2010 for piano, she conducted the National Orchestra of Belgium, accompanying the twelve finalists in Target by the South Korean composer Jeon Minje, winner of the 2009 composition competition, and in the concerto of their choice.

In January 2011 Alsop was appointed as an Artist in Residence at London's Southbank Centre for the 2011-12 season.