1. There are more women conductors than you think. People believe our dear Marin Alsop is the only one. She ain't.
2. They don't often get the important dates that will be reviewed. Some people want to blame us journalists for their lack of recognition, but with concert review space tighter than it has ever been in history, it is usually the "big gigs" that get the attention, and the women conductors - with the exception of Marin and the Last Night of the Proms - are not being given the big gigs.
3. The women conductors I know are heartily sick of being asked why there aren't more women conductors - mostly because there are.They would like, please, recognition first and foremost and, ideally, only for their work as musicians, regardless of gender...
4. [Update, 5 Sept, 13:49] I think that's what's emerging here, as the list steams on with well over 50 names and rising, is that there are plenty of women who are conductors, but one heck of a glass ceiling regarding where they work. [Update, 7 October, 18:49 - the list is now NEARLY 100 strong! Thank you to everybody who has written in to contribute!]
In no particular order, here's the march of the women.
Zoi Tsokanou. http://www.zoitsokanou.com
Was in Gustav Mahler Bamberg competition this year & Haitink masterclasses in Lucerne.
Monica Buckland Hofstetter http://www.buckland.ch/english/news.htm …
British-Swiss, formerly in charge of conducting chorus & orchestra at the University of Dresden, now based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Jessica Cottis http://jessicacottis.com
Young Australian-British conductor whose name came up more often in suggestions on Twitter yesterday than anyone else's.
Anu Tali http://www.harrisonparrott.com/artist/profile/anu-tali …
Estonian suprema, music director of Sarasota Orchestra & Nordic Symphony Orchestra.
Julia Jones: http://www.rayfieldallied.com/artists/julia-jones/
Admired Brit, extremely well recognised in Germany, did Cosi at Covent Garden not so long ago.
Xian Zhang. http://www.harrisonparrott.com/artist/profile/xian-zhang …
I have loved the performances of hers that I've heard at ENO.
Simone Young http://www.simoneyoung.com/titel/
Extremely well-established, has been chief conductor at the Hamburg Opera (just leaving now).
Eve Queler http://www.evequeler.com
New York-based operatic expert.
JoAnn Falletta http://www.joannfalletta.com
Music director of the Ulster Orchestra.
Suzi Digby http://www.suzidigby.com/
That ultimate mover and shaker of choirs and galvaniser of community and youth music.
Nia Llewellyn Jones @niallewellynj
Young conductor fresh out of Cambridge, being nurtured by CBSO.
Jane Glover: http://www.janeglover.co.uk
Arch-Mozartian and author.
Sian Edwards http://www.ingpen.co.uk/artist/sian-edwards/ …
She is head of conducting at the Royal Academy of Music.
Susanna Mälkki http://www.harrisonparrott.com/artist/profile/susanna-malkki …
Much-admired principal conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic and principal guest conductor of Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Alondra de la Parra http://alondradelaparra.com/
Among much else, an official cultural ambassador for Mexican tourism.
Emmanuelle Haim http://www.leconcertdastree.fr/
Extraordinary Baroque specialist from France.
Kelly Lovelady http://kellylovelady.com
From Australia, with an unforgettable name.
Odaline de la Martinez http://www.lorelt.co.uk/lontano/odaline.htm …
Founder of Lontano.
Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla http://www.cami.com/?webid=2551
Music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Kristiina Poska http://www.rbartists.at/en/dirigenten_dtl.php?id=486&TACookie=rv3a0901nslhali2lc4gai8035 …
Prizewinning Estonian who's been rising fast, not least via the Komische Oper, Berlin
Ewa Strusinska http://www.ewastrusinska.com
Spent some time with the Halle and now works internationally from Poland
Jeanne Lamon http://www.tafelmusik.org/about/orchestra/bios/jeanne-lamon …
Baroque marvel, head of Tafelmusik
Sarah Ioannides http://sarahioannides.net/
Born in Australia, grew up in the UK, now based in the US.
Tania Miller http://www.hughkaylor.com/Miller-Tania-Bio.html
Music director of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Canada
Claire Gibault http://clairegibault.fr/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Gibault …
Both conductor and MEP!
Barbara Hannigan http://www.barbarahannigan.com/
This extraordinary soprano, star of Benjamin's Written on Skin, is also a conductor.
Gemma New http://www.gemmanew.com/
Assistant conductor at New Jersey SO
Rebecca Miller http://www.rebeccamiller.net/
London-based US conductor
Alice Farnham http://www.alicefarnham.com/
Music director of Welsh National Youth Opera for Paul Bunyan this year
Akiko Ohtomo http://hokusaiorchestra.com/test/prof.html
Director of the Hokusai Orchestra (formed in 2010)
Anne Manson http://www.annemanson.com/
Among much else, she was the first woman to conduct at the Salzburg Festival
Yip Wing-Sie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yip_Wing-sie
Music director of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta
Sybille Werner http://www.ljova.com/sybille.htm
Mahler authority
Alicja Mounk http://www.dirigentinnen.de/1mounk.htm
A long and distinguished career
Holly Mathieson http://www.hollymathieson.com/
Young New Zealander, based in Berlin
Monique Krus http://401nederlandseoperas.nl/en/componisten/208-monique-krues.html
Dutch conductor, composer and soprano (site above doesn't mention the conducting, but she is recommended by a friend who saw her conduct last week)
Laurence Equilbey http://www.laurenceequilbey.com/
Fine French maestra, especially noted for opera. Another one for the appropriate-names department.
Jennifer Condon http://www.owlsnestopera.com.au/?page_id=6
Music director of the wonderfully-titled Owl's Nest Opera in Austalia
Karen Kamensek http://www.lewin-management.com/artists/18_Karen+Kamensek/englishbio
Music director of Staatstheater Hannover
Carolyn Watson http://www.carolyn-watson.com/biog.html
Orchestra director, Interlochen Arts Academy
Han-Na Chang http://www.harrisonparrott.com/artist/profile/han-na-chang
She's the most fabulous cellist and now she's become a conductor!
Mei-Anne Chen http://meiannchen.com/
Music director of Chicago Sinfonietta and Memphis Symphony
Joana Carneiro http://imgartists.com/artist/joana_carneiro
Music director, Berkeley Symphony
Amy Bebbington http://www.amybebbington.co.uk/4.html
Choral specialist
Laura Jackson http://www.laurajackson.net/web/home.aspx
Music director, Reno Philharmonic
Halldis Rønning http://www.harmonien.no/default.aspx?pageId=33
Assistant conductor, Bergen Philharmonic
Carolyn Kuan http://www.hartfordsymphony.org/about/music-director/
Music director, Hartford Symphony
Matilda Hofman http://www.esm.rochester.edu/iml/spotlight/spotlight_may_2008_hoffman.php
Music director, Diablo Symphony, California
Nicolette Fraillon http://www.australianballet.com.au/about_us/artistic_staff/nicolette_fraillon
Music director & chief conductor of Australian Ballet
Sarah Grace Williams http://www.sarahgracewilliams.com/
Chief conductor & artistic director, The Metropolitan Orchestra, Sydney
Speranza Scappucci http://www.icartists.co.uk/artists/speranza-scappucci
Is opening the forthcoming Scottish Opera season with Don Giovanni
Susan Hollingworth http://www.sinenom.com/bio.html
Conductor of Sine Nomine Choir and much more
Sarah Baldock http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Baldock
Master of the choristers & organist at Chichester Cathedral. One of the first women ever to be appointed at one.
Katherine Dienes-Williams http://www.katherinedienes.com/KD/Welcome.html
Master of the choristers & organist at Guildford Cathedral (see above)
Sarah Macdonald http://www.sel.cam.ac.uk/chapel/People/
Director of Music in Chapel, Selwyn College, Cambridge.
Kim Diehnelt http://www.kimdiehnelt.com/
Music director & chief conductor, Northwest Symphony Orchestra, US
Jeri Lynne Johnson http://www.jerilynnejohnson.com/web/home.aspx
Founder & conductor, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, US
Isabelle Ruf-Weber http://www.dirigentinnen.de/1rufwe.htm
German conductor based in Baden-Wurttemberg
Sinead Hayes http://www.sineadhayes.com/
Young Irish conductor who opened the RTE Concert Orchestra's summer lunchtime concert series.
Roberta Peroni http://www.linkedin.com/pub/roberta-peroni/28/44b/58a
Conductor & chorus manager in Bari, Italy.
Talia Ilan http://www.taliailan.com/bio.aspx
Music director of the Israel Stage Orchestra & guest conductor with many Israeli orchestras.
Ewa Michnik http://www.opera.wroclaw.pl/1/index.php?lang=_pl&page=4&perf_id=1
Director, Opera Wroclaw, Poland.
Eun Sun Kim http://www.lewin-management.com/artists/19_Eun+Sun+Kim/englishbio
Is conducting Die Fledermaus at ENO this season.
Maja Matelska http://majametelska.com/en/
Polish conductor, has scooped quite a few competition prizes.
Marzena Diakun http://diakun.com/en/biography/
Polish, winner of 2nd prize in last year's Fitelberg Competition, and highly recommended by one of my colleagues who's in the know.
Gisele Ben-Dor http://www.giseleben-dor.com/
Israeli conductor laureate of Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra
Victoria Bond http://victoriabond.com/
American composer and conductor. Her website says she has been staying in the guest flat at Brahms's house near Baden-Baden (this has long been my own aspiration!) and writing an opera about Clara Schumann.
Rei Hotada http://reihotoda.com
Has been assistant conductor at the Dallas Symphony and has been making important debuts around the US & Canada this season.
Sarah Hicks http://sarahhicksconductor.com/web/bio.aspx
Staff conductor at the Curtis Institute, Philadelphia, among much else.
Anna Skryleva http://www.annaskryleva.com/annaskryleva/Home.html
Russian, has been working in some fine German opera houses including Karlsruhe & Hamburg
Tara Simoncic http://www.greenwichsymphony.org/tara-simoncic-associate-conductor
Young American conductor, has been featured in the Guardian
Amelia LeClair http://www.brandeis.edu/wsrc/scholars/profiles/leclair.html
Scholar and early music choral conductor, based at Brandeis University
Nicole Paiement http://music.ucsc.edu/faculty/nicole-paiement
Director of Ensembles, University of California Santa Cruz.
Rosemary Thomson http://okanagansymphony.com/about/music-director/2997/
Music director, Okanagan Symphony.
Dalia Atlas http://www.dalia-atlas.com/Biography.html
From Haifa. Has recorded a lot of Bloch.
Graziella Contratto http://www.graziellacontratto.com/
Swiss conductor with a fine track record.
Jessica Gethin http://perthsymphony.com/2012/09/20/perth-symphony-orchestra/
Principal conductor of the Perth Symphony Orchestra, Australia
Carolin Nordmeyer http://www.theater-augsburg.de/content.php?backlink=L2NvbnRlbnQucGhwP25hdj0zNCZzdWI9MzYmL011c2lrdGhlYXRlci9FbnNlbWJsZS5odG1s&sel=1&mitID=240
Theater Augsburg, Germany
Alissa Firsova http://alissafirsova.com/
Multi-talented composer, conductor and pianist. Daughter of the composers Dimitri Smirnov and Elena Firsova.
Nathalie Stutzmann http://www.nathaliestutzmann.com/
The noted French mezzo-soprano is conducting as well.
Andrea Quinn http://www.andreaquinn.com/
British conductor, now based in the US. Was chief conductor at New York City Ballet, then at Norrlands Operan, Sweden.
Anne Marie Granau http://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariegranau
Chorus master at Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen
Silvia Sanz Torre http://www.silviasanz.com/silviasanz/index.php
Spanish conductor - intrigued to see she has conducted rare Albeniz opera The Magic Opal.
Kate Tamarkin http://www.ktamarkin.com/ktprofile.htm
Music director, Charlottesville and Univesity Symphony Orchestra, Charlottesville, US
Natalia Luis-Bassa http://www.natalialuisbassa.blogspot.co.uk/
Venezuelan conductor in the UK. Hit headlines a few years ago by walking out on the Huddersfield Philharmonic due to interpersonal problems with players being "disrespectful". Was a mentor in BBC's Maestro series. Teaches at RCM.
Sarah Tenant-Flowers http://www.tenantflowers.co.uk/
Choral conductor, UK, teacher, animateur - and also a mentor on Maestro.
Elizabeth Schulze http://www.flagstaffsymphony.org/about_conductor.php
Music director, Flagstaff and Maryland Symphony Orchestras, US
Sandra Horst http://www.music.utoronto.ca/faculty/faculty_members/faculty_a_to_m/Sandra_Horst.htm
Chorus master of Canadian Opera
Grete Pedersen http://solistkoret.no/en/artistic-leader/
Artistic leader, Norwegian Soloists Choir
Mary Chun http://www.earplay.org/index.php/music-makers/mary-chun-conductor-bio/
In demand in contemporary music and opera, US. Premiered Adams's I was looking at the ceiling...
Sara Jobin http://www.hughkaylor.com/jobin-sara-bio.html
Artistic director, Centre for Contemporary Opera, New York.
Renee Baker http://www.chicagomodernorchestraproject.org/artistic-director/
Music director, Chicaco Modern Orchestra Project
Beatrice Jona Affron http://www.paballet.org/pennsylvania-ballet-orchestra
Music director and conductor, Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra
Natalia Salinas http://www.linkedin.com/in/salinasnatalia/en
Conductor based in her native Argentina
Ann Krinitsky http://annkrinitsky.com/Bio.html
Director, Marin Symphony Youth Performance Programmes, etc - based in the Bay Area.
Karina Canellakis http://www.karinacanellakis.com/Site/Karina_Canellakis_conductor_violinist_BIOGRAPHY.html
Winner, 2013 Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship (founded by Marin Alsop)
Sebrina Maria Alfonso http://southfloridasymphony.org/about-the-conductor/
Music director, South Florida Symphony
Diane Wittry http://www.dianewittry.com/index.html
Music director, Allentown Symphony
Denise Ham http://www.denisehamconducting.com/
Sought-after teacher of conducting in the UK
Sharon Choa http://sharonchoa.co.uk/
Artistic director & principal conductor, Chamber Orchestra Anglia, which she founded in 2001
Rachael Young http://rachaelyoung.eu/
Has been assistant conductor to Paavo Jarvi & Leonid Grin, will Russian Virtuosi of Europe at Cadogan Hall in June 14.
Kayoko Dan http://chattanoogasymphony.org/artists/kayoko-dan/
Music director, Chattanooga Symphony & Opera
Apo Hsu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apo_Hsu
Assistant conductor of Oregon Symphony under James de Priest
Joana Mallwitz http://www.artistainternational.com/en/conductor/joanamallwitz/index.php
Is conducting Das Rheingold in Macau in October 2013 and has been doing more Wagner in Riga.
Yuri Nitta http://www.yuri-muusikko.com/e-profile.htm
Tokyo-born Nordic music specialist
Keiko Mitsuhashi http://www.concert.co.jp/en/artist/keiko_mitsuhashi/
2nd prize & audience prize in 2010 International Conducting Competition 'Arturo Toscanini'; 1st prize in 2008 Antonio Pedrotti Conducting Competition.
Kanako Abe http://www.kanakoabe.com/about.html
Born in Osaka, now based in Paris. Co-founder & music director of Ensemble Multilatérale
Yoko Matsuo *Link needed, please send if you have one!*
Pioneer of women conductors in Japan and first woman to win the Besançon competition in 1982.
Lindsay Ryan http://www.harmonysinfonia.co.uk/conductor.php
London-based conductor, founder in 2009 of Harmony Sinfonia
Heather MacLaughlin Garbes http://www.heathermaclaughlin.com/
Lives in Seattle, works with Baltic Studies Department/Baltic Choral Library at the University of Washington
Zheng Xiaoying http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/conductors/zheng_ziaoying/
Principal conductor of the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra and artistic director of her own Opera Centre.
Shi-Yeon Sung http://shiyeonsung.com/biography/
Winner of 2006 Sir Georg Solti International Conductors Competition.
Keri-Lynn Wilson http://imgartists.com/artist/keri_lynn_wilson
Canadian-born conductor, currently music director of Slovenian Philharmonic. Triumphant London debut at ENO for The Girl of the Golden West.
Susanne Riddell http://www.wessexyo.com/home/cwym-staff
Cellist, teacher and conductor of the Wessex Youth Orchestra, Poole, with further plans in the offing.
Janet Wheeler http://www.janetwheeler.co.uk
Choral conductor and composer
Catherine Winnes http://www.cathrinewinnes.com/about/
Norwegian orchestral conductor, artistic director and chief conductor of Swedish Wind Ensemble
Kerstin Nerbe https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerstin_Nerbehttps://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerstin_Nerbe
Senior Swedish conductor who made her name long before the rest
Cecilia Rydiner Alin https://www.kmh.se/backstage/om-backstage/nyhetsarkiv/nyhetsarkiv/2017-11-29-cecilia-rydinger-alin-ater-som-rektor.html
Rector of KMH - the Royal Conservatory, Stockholm
Rachel Worby http://muse-ique.com/worby.php
Artistic director, conductor and founder of MUSE/IQUE, Virginia
Maria Badstue http://www.mariabadstue.com
Danish conductor, former pupil of Jorma Panula
Inma Shara https://inmashara.com/en/home/
Spanish conductor with fine track record and particular name for supporting charities
Jasmina Novoknet http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Jasmina_Novokmet
Serbian conductor and professor
Tomomi Nashimoto http://www.tomomi-n.com/en/profile/
Principal conductor and artistic director of IlluminArt Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan
Simone Menezes http://www.simonemenezes.com
Young Brazilian conductor, involved with the Villa Lobos Project
Tania Léon http://www.tanialeon.com
Cuban composer and conductor
Thea Kano http://www.nycmasterchorale.org/about-nycmc/artistic-staff/
Artistic director of New York City Master Chorale
Huan Jing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huan_Jing
Resident conductor of Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra
Maria Guinand https://www.laphil.com/philpedia/maria-guinand
Artistic director of Schola Cantorum de Venezuela
Gabriella Teychenné http://equilibrium-youngartists.com/eq-is-everywhere-gabriella-teychenne/
Young British conductor of Argentinian background, currently (2018) assisting Barbara Hannigan
Hortense von Gelmini https://www.hortense-von-gelmini.com
Austrian conductor and painter
Michi Gaigg http://www.lorfeo.com/en/michi-gaigg/
Award-winning baroque violinist and conductor
Valéria Csányi https://www.naxos.com/person/Valeria_Csanyi/36161.htm
Hungarian conductor who has recorded some fascinating Hungarian repertoire for Naxos
Linda Bouchard http://lindabouchard.com
Canadian composer and conductor
Karen Gorden http://www.karengorden.com
Principal guest conductor of Bingen Festival Orchestra, Germany
SO, ARE YOU STILL GOING TO ASK WHY THERE ARE NO WOMEN CONDUCTORS?
Didn't think so. Ask instead why we do not hear them more often.
(Oh, and please, please, please stop throwing mud at Petrenko. Enough, already. Let's get some sense of proportion into this - many worse things are going on around us than that, and the chances are that he was joking/misquoted/manipulated for sensationalisation purposes, probably all three.)
