“On Thursday evening, Nathalie Stutzmann makes her debut as the Philadelphia Orchestra’s new principal guest conductor,” reports Peter Crimmins in Thursday’s (11/2) WHYY (PA). “Stutzmann has also recently been named the music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, beginning in 2022, making her only the second woman to lead a major American orchestra … She began her career as a contralto singer, appearing around the world for decades with major orchestras, including Philadelphia. In recent years, she has led the Philadelphia Orchestra as a guest conductor.” Stutzmann: “Ten years ago … there were a few opportunities for some women on the podium. The mentalities were changing…. So, I thought maybe it’s the right moment for me. I have achieved almost all my dreams as a singer. I grew up as a musician: a pianist and a bassoon player and cello player. For me, musically, the apotheosis of music-making was to conduct. People were … very suspicious and judging … I don’t see myself as a woman conductor when I come to work with an orchestra, I just—I am a conductor.… What I really like in Atlanta is, I am absolutely sure … I have been chosen because they like my music-making.”
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