São Paulo Symphony Orchestra has announced that Marin Alsop will continue as music director until December 31st 2019. During this period, the conductor will spend a minimum of 12 weeks per year in São Paulo, tour the orchestra internationally, as well as spend time teaching and nurturing young musicians at the Internacional de Inverno de Campos do Jordão.
‘My work with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra is the most extremely gratifying work that I’ve ever done: together we’ve not only raised the standards of performances, but also taken the orchestra out to the people of the São Paulo region and internationally,’ said the conductor.
‘This city is one of the most vibrant and exciting places on the planet right now and it’s thrilling to see the orchestra take its rightful place at the heart of this great metropolis. I eagerly look forward to seeing where this journey will take us.’
Since Alsop’s tenure as music director began three years ago, she has consolidated SPSO’s reputation and profile internationally. To date, she had conducted the orchestra in 118 concerts, played to an audience of over 270,000 people, engaged both critics and the public with concerts at the orchestra’s iconic home, and toured across 11 Brazilian cities as well as to iconic overseas venues such as Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Philharmonie (Berlin), Salle Pleyel (Paris), and London’s Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall.
Under Alsop’s direction, the orchestra has released three albums as part of their cycle of the complete symphonies of Prokofiev for Naxos. Other recording projects include the ongoing cycle of Villa-Lobos Symphonies, whilst Brazilian music is available on the orchestra’s digital label.
The president of the board of directors, Fabio Barbosa commented: ‘We are delighted that Marin has agreed to extend her contract with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and that we can continue to improve and expand the reach of this great body of musicians to even greater numbers of people.’