London's Philharmonia Orchestra Appoints Principal Guest Conductor

American conductor Marin Alsop will assume the role as the orchestra launches the first half of its 2023/24 season

In recognition of her “exceptional musicianship, commitment to diversity and education, and the breadth of her repertoire,” Marin Alsop has been announced as the Philharmonia Orchestra’s principal guest conductor, following its three acclaimed programs with her in the past year.

Beginning her role in the 2023/24 season, Alsop will develop three new projects every season, for the next three seasons, including new repertoire, concerts, and presentations.

Alsop is currently in her fourth season as chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. She is the first and only conductor to receive a MacArthur Fellowship and will make history as the first female conductor of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms. 

In her new role, Alsop will collaborate with the Philharmonic Orchestra’s recently appointed principal guest conductor emeritus, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and principal conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali. She joins the ensemble's illustrious leaders including conductor laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen and honorary conductor for life Christoph von Dohnányi.

In October 2023, Alsop will open the “Let Freedom Ring” series with an all-American program, including James P. Johnson, Bernstein, Gershwin, Copland, and a fanfare by Joan Tower, dedicated to Alsop. 

“This appointment…is a fantastic opportunity to deepen my relationship with these wonderful musicians and audiences,” Alsop said. “My work in London has been some of the most rewarding of my career,” she continued. “I am so looking forward to working more closely with this innovative, forward-thinking orchestra to create programmes and projects that draw from its long history of exceptional music making and continue to embrace the new and the bold.”

“Alsop created an immediate rapport with the players in her three concerts with the orchestra last year through her strong musical vision and her collaborative approach to music making,” added the Philharmonia’s President Kira Doherty. “She is a true trailblazer and visionary who challenges the accepted norms of the classical world through her innovative programming and education work. 

“Alsop holds a position in the industry that few have managed to replicate: an esteemed and highly respected custodian of musical tradition who simultaneously works to reimagine its future and ensure its continued relevance,” Doherty continued. “We are thrilled to have her on board in this new and exciting partnership.”

Alsop is also chief conductor and curator of Chicago’s Ravinia Festival — conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s summer residencies. As a guest conductor, she has led the Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Filarmonica della Scala. 

She has served residencies at the Aspen Institute Arts Program and Vienna’s University of Music and Performing Arts and taught conducting at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute. She holds honorary doctorates from Yale University and the Juilliard School, and in 2002, founded the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship for female conductors.

In 2021, a documentary about her life debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival and was recognized with the Naples International Film Festival’s Focus on the Arts Award.