News and music to start your week!

Marin Alsop has started a fellowship for women conductors to help encourage the number of women entering the field.  She was interviewed by the New York Times about this new project, her career until this point, and the hurdles that women conductors continue to face.

Several organizations, including the National Orchestral Institute and Festival, are working to support musicians of color to be highly trained for careers in top ensembles.  Read more in an article by Anne Midgette in The Washington Post.

On the same theme, Local 802 – the musicians union in New York City – has created a guide for orchestral administrators to help ensure the that their auditions are without explicit or implicit bias.  BUT, another view is offered by Maia Jasper White of the Salastina Ensemble, in “Eyes Wide Shut”: “Maybe how well you play isn’t where what matters begins and ends. After all, orchestral and chamber music are team sports.”

Congratulations to Unsuk Chin (pictured above), named 2019 composer-in-residence for the Bergen International Festival!  I Care if You Listen has the story.

Congratulations also to Eva Ollikainen who was appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of The Iceland Symphony Orchestra.  She will take over the post in the 2020-21 season.  The press release is here.

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