Anne Manson is responsible for a number of “firsts” for women. The first woman to conduct at the Salzburg Festival, she is one of only three to serve as music director of a leading American symphony and is now the first woman to conduct the Virginia Opera. The company’s season opens with Manson on the podium conducting its debut of George Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers,” a work that was rarely done until recent years.

“This is a beautiful score that I love for its luscious, lyrical melodies, its phrasing and the French language that I’ve spoken since childhood,” Manson said. “The friendship duet, ‘Au fond du temple saint,’ has become well-known, but there are other moments in the opera that are equally beautiful, such as the scene between the soprano and the baritone. It’s one of the most dramatic in the repertoire, and I love driving it from the pit.”