Exit Statement from Chloe van Soeterstede, TACF Fellow 2019-2021
It was a privilege to be chosen by Marin Alsop as the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellow for 2019-2021. My tenure was full of sharp turns and novel challenges due to the Covid pandemic which took hold in 2020. However, from the very start I felt welcomed into the Taki Alsop Fellowship family, exchanging emails, thoughts, and advice with our community of conductors.
I was fortunate to have several opportunities to be mentored closely by Marin Alsop, especially before the start of the pandemic lockdown. Our first meeting was at a recording studio in London where Marin was conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra and cellist Inbal Segev in a recording of composer Anna Clyne’s Dance. I was very touched that Marin took time from her busy schedule to look over orchestral scores with me that I was preparing for a forthcoming competition in Germany.
We met again when I had some time between trains in Paris. At this occasion I joined Marin for rehearsals at the Philharmonie de Paris and also for the first half of her rehearsal with Orchestre de Paris which was rehearsing Dvorak Seventh Symphony. It was very instructive for me to notice the difference in sound between the two orchestras and to observe how Marin rehearsed the two orchestras.
The next opportunity I had to work directly with Marin was in Austria, where I attended a masterclass she offered at the University of Vienna. Marin also invited me to attend a rehearsal of the Vienna Radio Orchestra (ORF) which she leads as Music Director. I humbly accepted her offer to conduct a part of the third movement of Schumann’s Second Symphony, an experience I greatly enjoyed!
Marin has always been there for me when I needed her support, when I had questions or doubts. When we could not meet in person during the most restrictive part of the pandemic lockdown, we instead met quite regularly on Zoom for mentoring. During this period I created my own YouTube video series ‘A Moment with Marin’ in which I interviewed Marin on many interesting topics such as the role of the Music Director, how to work with singers versus instrumentalists, and to prepare for recording sessions. We also discussed Marin’s relationship with her mentor, Leonard Bernstein, in one of our interviews. I was truly impressed by her openness and accessibility.
Marin has a strong Taki Alsop team behind her and they, too, have been supportive. I am grateful for the Zoom meetings organized for the Taki Alsop conductors during the pandemic lockdown and beyond. Our Zoom meetings featured discussions with conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Nathalie Stutzmann, Ivan Fischer, and François Xavier Roth to name a few. We also met with executive directors of established American and European orchestras and other music industry leaders and professionals. These meetings opened doors to spirited dialogues, allowing us to share our thoughts, opinions, doubts, and many interesting ideas.
I am truly grateful for all the opportunities offered to me by the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship!
—Chloe van Soeterstede