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Celebrate and explore Women’s History Month with WKAR!

The Conductor | Great Performances

Marin Alsop and São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra rehearsal.
Keri Oberly
/
PBS
Marin Alsop and São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra rehearsal.

Fri. Mar. 25 at 9 p.m. on WKAR-HD 23.1 & STREAMING | Follow Marin Alsop's journey to become the first female music director of a major symphony.

Great Performances: The Conductor tells the story of the first female conductor of a major symphony, Marin Alsop. Documenting Alsop’s journey from playing the violin as an ambitious nine-year-old who longed to conduct, to attending Juilliard, to creating her own all-female string orchestra and swing band, to ultimately becoming music director of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Despite repeated rejection from the classical music establishment, Alsop persevered and blazed her own trail which gained her attention as a conductor and opened new opportunities for her that led to studying with legendary composer Leonard Bernstein. This documentary features cinema verité scenes of Alsop conducting some of the world’s greatest orchestras.

Watch this episode at video.wkar.org during or after the premiere date.

ABOUT GREAT PERFORMANCES:
Great Performances brings the best in the performing arts from across America and around the world to a US television audience. It presents a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama and performance documentaries.

Journalism at this station is made possible by donors who value local reporting. Donate today to keep stories like this one coming. It is thanks to your generosity that we can keep this content free and accessible for everyone. Thanks!