(dramatic music) (dramatic music continues) - [Soledad] When Marin Alsop steps up to the podium, she is conducting change.

- Every day, I thought, "I'm never gonna get to do this," because everybody's, "No, no, you can't.

No, no, no, no.

Girls can't do that."

- [Soledad] And then she did it.

She's the first woman to serve as the head of a major orchestra in multiple countries.

But she knew being the first wouldn't fix the system.

- I'm proud and I'm horrified at the same time.

- [Soledad] So she started fixing it herself, one woman conductor at a time.

- Being the first is a tough job, and I think this is why she's fighting so much for us.

- [Soledad] Because when you change who makes the music, you start to change who believes they belong in the room.

- Classical music should be accessible and fun for everybody.

- [Soledad] This is Marin Alsop, and she was first.

♪ Whoa-oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Whoa, whoa ♪ (gentle music) - [Narrator] Major funding for this program provided by Felicia Taylor, a journalist who dedicated much of her life's work to honoring and celebrating the accomplishments of women.

(dramatic music) - [Soledad] Marin Alsop is making music and history.

(dramatic music continues) She's one of the world's leading orchestral conductors, with many historic firsts.

She was the first woman to lead a major orchestra in the United States, and the first orchestra conductor ever to receive a MacArthur Genius Award.

I'm more confused about conducting having now watched more closely that rehearsal.

- I'm sure.

- My middle school music teacher did a lot of, you know, "One, two, three, four, one, two, three," you know, that sort of keeping us on the beat.

But you were doing... It was hard to follow the beat because- - Oh, don't tell my students that.

- No, sorry.

(laughs) I know that sounds terrible.

But it was like this.

- Well, I'm trying to also show the character, so when the strings are playing, that I'm trying to connect with the strings in this way.

So using the horizontal plane really creates that sound.

If you want something very clear, you gonna consolidate it and be sort of a little bit more staccato, as we say.

So, it's all about gesture as the representative of the music.

- Right hand's holding the baton.

Left hand's doing what?

I saw a lot of this.

I saw some of this.

- See, look, you're ready to conduct.

Look, you've been practicing.

The left hand is about expression.

It's about dynamics.

- I saw a lot of this and a little of that.

- Queuing, right, yep.

- Is the conductor the captain of the team, or what's the analogy?

Is it the pilot?

Is it the general?

Is it the, what is it?

- You know, I think all of those things, depending on your personality.

But at least for me, a more effective way to look at it is as a coach, or maybe as a director of a play.

I'm trying to understand the composer's intent, what's going on.

Then I come to the orchestra, and I'm showing them with my hands, not only about where to play, what the tempo is, I'm also trying to find the colors of the story, the atmosphere, the mood.

Where is the arc of the piece, the narrative, where is it going?

How do we arrive there?

- [Soledad] But long before the world knew her name, she was created for a specific purpose.

- My parents were both professional musicians, and I imagine that they were sitting around and said, "You know, we could really use a pianist.

Let's make one."

- So they put you in- - So that's what... I was supposed to be a pianist, but I hated the piano.

But I loved violin.

- [Soledad] What did you love about the violin?

- I think the physicality of it.

You know, that it felt like you were embracing something and really connecting with the sound.

Piano felt very austere and distant to me.

- [Soledad] When did you know you were good at it?

- When my violin teacher stepped out of the studio and brought in her star student, who was a college student, and said, "I want you to hear this."

And I thought, "Hmm, oh, I guess I must be good."

But you know what happened?

I started getting into trouble.

I was moving around too much, and the director called my parents in and said, "We're getting a lot of complaints about someone back of the second violins, trying to lead the whole orchestra."

That was me.

- [Soledad] Were you trying to lead the orchestra from the back end of the second violins?

- I'm sure I was.

You know, I was really engaged in it.

I really loved it.

I was having fun.

So they were telling me, you know, "You're having too much fun.

Don't smile so much.

Don't move so much."

So much about classical music, at least from my perception, there are too many rules, imposed rules, that you can't have fun.

(gentle music) But luckily, my dad took me to a young people's concert, and the conductor, he was a maniac.

He was jumping around, he was laughing, and I thought, "Hmm, okay, I know, I can be the conductor, and I won't get in trouble."

And that conductor was Leonard Bernstein that I saw that day.

- Wow.

- He became my hero, as you can imagine.

I had two posters in my bedroom, the Beatles and Leonard Bernstein.

I think I was drawn to the idea of galvanizing people, leading them, inspiring them.

And I think I could understand that at that moment.

- [Soledad] So you're nine years old.

You have now made your life decision.

- I did, I told everyone, you know, "You're gonna be very relieved, I know you were getting worried, I have made my career choice."

I'm nine.

And I told my violin teacher, and she said, first person to tell me something like this, "Girls can't do that."

(gentle music) When I got home, I was so upset.

I had never even considered that girls couldn't do something.

And when I told my mom, oh, she was hopping mad.

But when I came down for breakfast the next morning, there was a long wooden box, and I opened it up, and it was filled with batons.

And that was from my dad.

So, my mom was militant, "You can do this," and my dad was, "We're here for you," you know, that kind of support.

- There were no women conductors.

- No, there weren't.

- So your mom was telling you, "Of course you can do it," but in reality, there were not people who were doing it.

- I didn't see anyone doing it, no.

So I became sort of a closet conductor, you know?

And I was studying scores on my own.

But I didn't feel entitled or supported to go out and try it.

(upbeat music) - [Soledad] Before she officially picked up the baton, Marin started her studies at Juilliard.

- I didn't go as a conductor, I went as a violinist.

- But you always wanted to be a conductor.

- While I was doing my master's in violin performance, I applied to the conducting program.

They wrote me a letter, which said that my academic credentials didn't meet their standards.

I just got my master's degree from their institution.

- [Soledad] And your undergrad too, right?

- Correct.

So I applied the next year, and I got into the audition.

(upbeat classical music) And in the last round, they placed all these wrong notes in the orchestra.

It was like a little minefield, I guess, testing your ear.

And I made a joke about it, and I said, "I can't believe they made you play that note."

And the musicians started laughing hysterically and stomping their feet, and they asked me to leave.

Every day, I thought, "I'm never gonna get to do this," because everybody's, "No, no, you can't.

No, no, no, no, no."

- I'm always amazed when saying, "I have applied three times, and three times"- - Rejected.

- Rejected.

Like, this is not to be.

- I really felt that they hadn't... They weren't considering it seriously enough.

(gentle classical music) I thought, "I have to prove that I can do this, and I have to be better at what I do in order for them to say, 'Ah, okay, I see that you can do this.'"

(gentle classical music) The cellos need you.

They're 10 cellos.

Now, bassline, bassline.

(gentle classical music continues) You're not conducting.

Do something.

(Marin vocalizing) Yeah, but you're being a voyeur.

- Voyeur?

- Voyeur, you know what that means?

- Voyeur.

- Voyeur.

You're just a watcher.

(gentle classical music) Yeah, yeah, yeah, and go for it.

Sorry, I'm so sorry.

How many times can you play this?

But it feels like you stop.

You stop.

(gentle classical music) Instead... (gentle classical music) You're not pulling the sound.

You see, you're waiting for the sound.

(gentle classical music) Without my musicians, I don't make any sound.

As a violinist, I could practice however many hours a day I wanted.

As a conductor, I had no instrument.

You know, you can wave your arms at home, but it's not the same.

And so that's when I started my own orchestra, and we played in the hall at Juilliard, downstairs, we rented it.

(laughs) (upbeat classical music) - [Soledad] So how does one start an orchestra?

- My swing band was playing at a wedding for a Japanese businessman.

I thought, "Hmm, maybe he could help me."

He paid me in cash, too.

And I said, "Mr.

Taki, I know you don't know me at all, but I need your help because I wanna start an orchestra, and this is the only thing I wanna do in life."

And he said, "Oh, well, you know, I don't really like classical music."

I was like, "Oh, no, no."

But he said, "But you know what?

I see your passion and I see your talent, and I'll help you."

And he supported my orchestra For 18 years.

(gentle music) - [Soledad] Marin started her own orchestra to gain the experience no one would give her, and her decision paid off.

Tanglewood, one of the most prestigious music academies in the world, took her in.

- [Narrator] Marin is one of five conducting fellows who survived very tough auditions to study at Tanglewood.

In fact, Marin applied four times before she was accepted.

- I wanted to come to Tanglewood as a conductor more than, more than going anywhere else in the world, because the reputation here is fantastic.

- [Soledad] And here, she didn't just study.

She learned directly from her hero, Leonard Bernstein.

- You really want those spaces before the piano each time.

- So, not this time.

- And this one- - I think not.

Yes, I think so.

- Why not all the time?

- This is such a surprise.

The beautiful, warm strings.

- So you cut this off.

- Yes.

- Off.

But there's a hole.

- Yes, so we try to sustain?

- And this way, there's no hole.

See if you can do it.

- He, in his own way, was more supportive of women on the podium without really intentionally being that way, just because he believed in talent.

He said, "If I sit here and close my eyes, I can't tell you're a woman."

(gentle music) He was trying to grapple with this whole concept, because he was from a generation that said women can't do these things.

- Why did people believe that women couldn't conduct?

I mean, I just, I honestly, it just seems so absurd to me.

- (laughs) I'm with you.

I mean, why can't a woman be president of the United States?

- [Soledad] In 1989, she made history as the first woman awarded the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize, Tanglewood's highest honor.

And then she started to make headlines.

From city to city, podium to podium, she built a reputation for excellence, leading smaller orchestras across the country.

As early as 1994, the New York Times declared her, "The Maestra in the Wings," and asked the question, "Will a woman ever conduct a major American orchestra?"

That question would be answered more than a decade later.

- She is a star in the world of classical music.

Her name is Marin Alsop.

Marin was recently named the music director of the Baltimore Symphony, the first woman ever to head a major orchestra in this country.

You go, girl.

(gentle music) - So this was my first major position with a major full-time American orchestra.

- What was it like when you first came in, and this was kind of all yours?

- To hear an orchestra of that quality, and to have that instrument to work with, I mean, it was really, really exciting.

- [Soledad] However, the announcement of her appointment turned into a public dispute between the musicians and management.

The musicians were upset they weren't consulted about Marin's hiring.

- It's shocking that they said things like, "Well, if you appoint her, will set the Baltimore Symphony back three decades."

It was very hurtful, having worked so hard to accomplish what I had.

I'm hoping that as people see more and more women, more and more people of color on the podiums, they'll start to have a broader sense of what a conductor can be.

- [Soledad] In 2007, at rehearsal for their first official concert together, Marin and the Symphony worked on their developing relationship.

- I feel a little bit like everyone has a different vision of how they should go.

If you could just let go and let me take responsibility, that would be extremely helpful.

They have to, I think, go through a number of concerts with me, with different repertoire, to feel that they can really let go.

You can't demand trust.

It's something that grows.

- [Soledad] And on opening night, Marin let the music do the talking.

- [Narrator] When Marin Alsop in her official debut led the Baltimore Symphony with ease and vigor through Mahler's majestic 5th... (dramatic orchestral music) (audience applauding) And afterwards, when she was showered with much deserved applause, Marin Alsop wasn't just making musical history, she was also making a statement.

- [Soledad] Under Marin's baton, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra reached new heights.

She led the BSO on its first European tour in 13 years, and they were nominated for a Grammy.

(dramatic orchestral music) Her 14 year tenure ended in 2021.

- Yeah, excellent.

Great solos, everybody's super.

- [Soledad] But this week, she was back for a special performance.

- Thank you, letter R. Just strings, thank you.

(gentle orchestral music) Yeah, so we start off the string, yeah, and together is great, thanks.

Here's R.

(gentle orchestral music) I'm so sorry, you guys aren't with them though.

One more time.

(gentle orchestral music) Thank you.

Great.

(gentle orchestral music continues) (gentle orchestral music continues) So let's let the violas lead the whole accelerando.

- How long will you practice, or does everybody work on a piece before it can be performed?

- Our first rehearsals were yesterday, and we have a concert tonight.

- Oh my gosh.

- So, it goes quickly.

That's pretty typical.

- Wow.

- It's usually a two day gestation.

90, maybe 93% of my work is done without the orchestra.

These are just some dynamic markings and where I wanna cue people, things like that, where this note should land.

So, you know, they're instructions, really, for myself.

And I'm always preparing, because rehearsal time is precious.

Often, I go to an orchestra I've never met in a country I may not even know the language, and you have to very quickly establish some kind of rapport and some kind of intimacy with these people so that you can gain their trust and create an inspiring performance.

It's tricky.

- [Soledad] In 2013, she was the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms, one of the most celebrated concerts in the UK, broadcast to millions around the world.

(audience applauding) - Now, quite a lot has been made of me being the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms.

(audience applauding and cheering) I have to say, I'm still quite shocked that it can be 2013 and there can be firsts for women.

Mr.

Taki said to me, "I'm very proud that you are now a woman in this field.

This was our goal, and you are there."

He said, "But what are you gonna do about all the other women?"

You know, I thought, "Oh, great, (laughs) no pressure."

So, I decided to start a fellowship, and I wanted to thank him, so it's named the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship.

And the idea behind it is to create opportunity, because that was what was missing for me.

Opportunity for women to try things, to fail safely, to have a community to rely on, to have resources.

(upbeat music) So today, we have over 60 women as part of this.

They're from 40 different countries.

- And are you kind of working on creating the all girls' network?

- Yeah, definitely.

I hope it will be an all girls' network, for sure.

You wanna give it a try, maybe?

- I have now seen the score, and so my good sense says, "No."

(both laughing) This looks literally like a completely other language.

- [Marin] Okay, you might wanna consider different shoes.

You know what I mean?

Just so you have your anchor.

- If I can do it in heels, I can do it.

- Yeah, I can do it in anything, okay.

- Left hand is doing?

- Don't worry about left hand yet.

Let's start with just the right hand.

And you're gonna do, one, two.

So this is a one, two, one.

(Marin imitates orchestra playing) Yep, and don't bend your knees, okay?

Just try right hand first.

(gentle orchestra music) That was good, but one- - I had no idea people were gonna play.

- That was good.

Now, hold onto this.

Don't be tense.

May I?

Two, one, two.

One, two.

See, so your left hand, you can hold the sound.

Two, one, two.

One, two.

One, two.

One, two.

And you're gonna make the crescendo.

Yeah, you got it!

You gotta stay.

Two.

(laughs) One, two.

See, it's not bad.

Better than most.

Two.

And then you're gonna bring the brass in here.

One, two!

(laughs) She likes to go the other way.

That's good.

That was pretty good.

(orchestra applauding) - If it were a vehicle, we'd all be dead on the highway.

(all laughing) - [Marin] We need the self-driving car, right?

- Oh my gosh.

Well, it's both hands- - There's a lot going on.

- Doing two different things.

I wanna lean in.

And you're not actually, you're cuing them before they come in.

- That's right, it's all in the preparation of bringing them in.

It's tricky though.

- But, like, I don't even know who to look at, you know?

- I know.

It's a lot of- - All of a sudden, the violins come in, and you're like, "Oh, crap, I guess there's violins."

- "I missed that."

- Start looking at the violins.

- That's what I say to them.

"Oh, crap."

- Oh my gosh.

- Thanks, everybody.

- That's terrifying.

- [Marin] Seriously, Soledad, you did really well.

- So I'm curious if there's a thing, you know, I have a list of your first, but like, what do you think is your big first that you've contributed?

- If I were to say, what am I most proud of, you know, I would say that probably starting the program here in Baltimore called OrchKids, Orchestra Kids.

For the MacArthur Award, you get substantial money.

And so that's what I did.

It was really a blessing.

And when I see these kids succeeding and the kind of joy and refuge that music has been for them, it really makes me proud.

- Is the goal to get as many students as possible to, you know, find their way into the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra?

- I think if they have an aspiration to audition for the orchestra, you know, that would be thrilling, but the goal is not to create professional musicians necessarily, but to give kids an opportunity to have this experience to practice and work together.

So it's about music, but it's not about music.

Hi, how are you?

Good to see you.

- Good to see you.

- Soledad.

- Oh, nice to meet you.

Justice.

- It's so great to meet you.

Now, you are one of the OrchKids.

- Yes, I'm a violinist, and I've been doing this for about 10 years now, going on 11.

- So does that mean you were like seven years old when you started performing in an orchestra?

- Well, I mean, actually, yes, not too far from that age.

- [Soledad] The program started with just 30 students, and today, it serves thousands of children in the Baltimore area, providing not just instruments, but inspiration.

Even the White House took notice.

- It's a pleasure to be here today for the National Arts and Humanities Youth Programs Awards, where we honor outstanding organizations that are using the arts to lift up our young people.

- What would you say has been the biggest lesson that you've taken from this program?

- Definitely resilience.

There's always a monkey wrench in every plan.

- Yeah, that's true.

- No matter what you do, music related or not, something always goes wrong.

But in music, you can't let that stop you.

You cannot.

If you mess up on stage, you keep playing.

If something is going wrong before the concert, well, get it ready, because the concert is still going on.

- Yeah, the show must go on, right?

- [Justice] Yeah, the show must go on.

(gentle music) - You know, learning an instrument is a tough challenge.

Oh, you have to practice every day.

It's a total drag, right?

You have to motivate yourself.

And all of those skills, when you master them, then you start to work with others, play with others, you have to learn to back off, step forward.

All of these skills are essential to a successful life.

And even if you never play the instrument past learning as a child, you have those skills.

And this is really important.

- Marin's story reminds us that progress isn't just about reaching the podium, it's about opening doors, breaking old patterns, and creating a future where every voice can be heard on the stage and beyond.

So much of the work that you do that's not being on a podium, conducting, is pouring back into the next generation of either people who wanna be conductors or people who would love to be in music in some capacity.

- Yeah.

- Why?

- Well, you know, I think that's the privilege of having success, you know, that you can then turn around and make the pathways easier for the next generation.

For me, everyone's saying, "You can't do this.

You can't.

No, no, no."

You know, no was such a big word.

I wanna say to everyone, "Yes, yes, yes, come on.

Come on, let's go."

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (gentle music) - [Narrator] Major funding for this program provided by Felicia Taylor, a journalist who dedicated much of her life's work to honoring and celebrating the accomplishments of women.

(mysterious music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)