herself in contemporary music. German-born and a graduate of
excited to deepen our relationship with her,” says Alsop (March
Juilliard, Ruth Reinhardt (November 2019) studied with Alsop in
and April 2020). Indian-American composer Reena Esmail fuses
Brazil. She is rapidly making important orchestral debuts in Europe
elements of Indian ragas with Western techniques in her richly
and America and last season was selected as the Dudamel Fellow
cross-cultural music. “Reena has distinguished herself as one of
of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Chinese-American conductor Xian
the leading voices of her generation," says Alsop. “She is doing
Zhang (November 2019) shared the first prize of the Maazel/Vilar
visionary work with Street Symphony, an organization that is serv-
Conductors’ Competition and is Music Director
ing the Skid Row community of Los Angeles
of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
in an awe-inspiring way. For our ambitious
THE BSO WILL
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 Project, her music
THE SOLOISTS
and her perspective were a must.” (June 2020)
SHINE A LIGHT ON
Playing the repertoire for which they are most
“We invited guest conductors to suggest
famous, three great instrumental virtuosos
women composers they were excited about, and
THE IMPORTANT
from Russia adorn the 2019 –20 season.
we couldn’t be more excited to hear the pieces
CONTRIBUTIONS
Moscow-born Yulianna Avdeeva won the
they have selected,” says Alsop. Ruth Reinhardt
first prize at the International Chopin Piano
chose Finnish composer Lotta Wennäkoski and
BY WOMEN TO
Competition in Warsaw in 2010; she will play
her scintillating Hava. In love with literature
and poetry, Wennäkoski seeks to infuse Hava’s
MUSIC AND SOCIETY Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto (February
2020). Since she won the Rachmaninoff Inter-
glittering, rushing music with the expressive-
AT LARGE.
national Piano Competition at age 17, Olga
ness of a novel (November 2019). Xian Zhang
Kern has been celebrated for her mastery of this
brings us Antiphony by Chen Yi, one of the
— Marin Alsop—
composer of ultra-Romantic keyboard master-
most celebrated women composers of our day.
pieces. She plays the most notoriously difficult
A compelling meeting of East and West, this
of them all, Rachmaninoff ’s Third Piano Concerto (April 2020).
work was inspired by the competitive antiphonal singing of South
Making her BSO debut, Viktoria Mullova is without doubt one of
China’s Zhuang minority (November 2019). Peter Oundjian’s choice
today’s greatest violinists. Gold Medal-winner of the International
was Canadian composer Vivian Fung and her Dust Devils. Fung is
Tchaikovsky Competition and the Sibelius Violin Competition,
a powerful young composer who often merges Western forms with
she will play the magnificent Beethoven Violin Concerto on an
Eastern influences from her travels in Bali and China (April 2020).
all-Beethoven program (June 2020).
Back by popular demand, renowned gospel singer CeCe Winans
WOMEN ON THE PODIUM
joins for a rousing Gospel Christmas program of holiday favorites,
If it was difficult for a woman to become a performed composer in
and in February, charismatic vocal star Capathia Jenkins will grace
the past, the situation was perhaps even more daunting for women
the SuperPops series with a tribute to the immortal Aretha Franklin.
conductors. To begin with, symphony orchestras did not even begin
Back on the classical series, don’t miss two beautiful young voices
to hire women players until the middle of the 20 th century. How,
from the Baltimore area: mezzosoprano Cierra Byrd and soprano
then, could a woman aspire to overcome that gender prejudice
Hayley Abramowitz, Alsop discoveries who will be the soloists for
and lead 100 men? In 2006, Marin Alsop’s becoming the first
Mahler’s Symphonies No. 3 and 4 (March and April).
woman music director of a major U.S. orchestra was a significant
Summing up “The Year of the Woman,” Marin Alsop says,
breakthrough. Her stature was further confirmed when she
“This season is really just a continuation and an expansion of the
became the first conductor, female or male, to be awarded the
BSO’s commitment to diversity, offering us an opportunity to focus
prized MacArthur Fellowship.
more intentionally on women musicians. However, the fact that
Three other women will join Alsop on the podium in 2019–20.
these outstanding composers, conductors and soloists are women
Carolyn Kuan (February 2020) has been the Music Director of the
is the least remarkable aspect of who they are. They deserve to be
Hartford Symphony since 2011. The first Taki Fellow, she studied
featured and lauded solely on the basis of their talent!”
with Maestra Alsop, who says she is particularly distinguishing
CARO LYN KUAN
LER A AU ERBACH
OLGA KERN
S E P– O C T 201 9 / OV E R T U R E
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