Alsop and the BSO: Building on the buzz

The New York Times noted last season that “Alsop has reinvigorated the orchestra, institutionally and artistically.” What does reinvigoration mean to you, and what role do you think you played in that reinvigoration?

An important part of that word is the “re” as it already implies inherent vigor. The [BSO] just needed someone to come in and connect the dots. I didn’t come up against that “cant-do” attitude. For me, the building block for this invigoration is that everyone is responsive and receptive. What I love about the [organization] is that the whole team — audience, orchestra [and] board — is on the same page, and you can only have reinvigoration when you have the right ingredients.  Baltimore is the only city where I have given talks and the first question in a Q&A is “What can I do to help you?” It’s so lovely.

Do you feel you accomplished your goals during the 2007-2008 season?

Definitely. Every initiative we put into effect, like re-connecting people with the standard repertoire, seemed to work really well. I think the $25 ticket initiative was so phenomenal that we’ve been able to re-up it this season.  We made a statement with our Dvorak No. 9 [recording],  which got phenomenal reviews. You only dream of this kind of reception. And for my orchestra, I feel that they deserve that, and I’m so happy they’re getting the local, national and international recognition they deserve. The trick now is to build on the buzz, not put our feet up and have a mint julep while we relax and enjoy our success. For me, it’s always about maximizing the next opportunity.

How did you go about crafting the 2008-2009 season? Does the season have special meaning because of your relationship with Leonard Bernstein?

Crafting the season is about being an ambassador for symphonic music to the greater community and to the outside world. I think philosophically [Bernstein’s] influence prevails in everything I do. Being able to devote some programming to Bernstein, who became my mentor, is very satisfying to me. By knowing Bernstein … and watching him stand up for the things he believed in, watching him reach out to young people on different levels and watching his eclecticism in embracing all kinds of music, I think these elements are present in me. This season gives me an opportunity to put a spotlight on those things.

What can audiences expect? What should they be looking forward to?

As I look through the season, it’s really important that I do the standard cannon of the repertoire, but also that I do concerts like my “Too Hot to Handel: [The Gospel Messiah],” which is a jazz, gospel [and] R&B version of Handel’s Messiah that I’ve put together. It has a huge rhythm section with electric guitars, gospel piano and saxophone. People will dance in the aisles when I do this. It’s probably somewhat sacrilegious, [but] music needs to grow and change and exist. The thing that people don’t realize is that every human being has the capacity to listen to classical music — we’re sort of hot-wired toward it. But somehow we’ve made it feel intimidating or inaccessible with all these rules,  and we’re trying to get rid of those.

If you wanted potential audiences (people who have never been to the symphony or haven’t been in a while) to know one thing about the BSO and where it’s heading in 2008-2009, what would that be?

Most importantly, it’s fun. I think that people who come to experience the BSO will leave with a sense of community, a sense of pride, maybe a personal sense of emotional journey. I think it can be the most transcendental experience because we’re not telling you how to listen, how to feel — we’re not telling you what to see, but we’re giving you this material to enable you to go to a different place. I think these experiences for people are very individual, but they can be life- changing.

Is being the first female music director of the BSO a dream come true for you?

It’s just being able to pursue what I love.  I think often of being 9 years old, sitting in the orchestra and listening to Leonard Bernstein, and then I think, “yeah, wow — this is what I’m privileged to do.”  Every day is a dream come true.

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