Maestra Marin Alsop, an inspiring and powerful leader in the international music scene, has been appointed to lead the graduate conducting program at Peabody.

Music director of both the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Alsop is recognized for her deep commitment to education and her gift for communicating with and building audiences.

As director of graduate conducting, she succeeds one of her mentors, Gustav Meier, who is retiring after a venerable and award-winning career, including nearly two decades teaching at Peabody.

“We’re simply thrilled that Marin Alsop has agreed to step into this leadership position at Peabody,” says Fred Bronstein, dean of the Peabody Institute. “Her bold vision and innovative approach will further enhance our conducting program — already one of the strongest in the nation — and our students will benefit tremendously from this increased opportunity to work with a conductor of Marin’s caliber.

“And at a time when Peabody is focusing increasingly on what it means to be a citizen-artist in the 21st century, there is no better practitioner than Marin Alsop, as exemplified through her commitment to education, community engagement, and an innate talent for making music meaningful to so many different audiences.”

Maestro Meier led the graduate conducting program for more than 18 years, and over that time his name has become synonymous with the careers of numerous conductors who have appeared on the podiums of orchestras and opera companies around the globe, among them Carl St. Clair, Jun Märkl, Antonio Pappano, and Ms. Alsop.

Through these artists and others, including many students that he has worked with at Peabody, says Dean Bronstein, “Gustav Meier is singularly responsible for more professional conductors today than almost any teacher.” He adds, “We at Peabody are enormously grateful for Gustav’s unique contribution in making Peabody’s conducting program what it is and wish him the very best in a retirement that follows such a distinguished career.”

Maestra Alsop first joined the Peabody conducting faculty in 2006 as a Distinguished Visiting Artist. She was instrumental in creating the BSO-Peabody Conducting Fellowship.

“It is an incredible honor to accept this baton from my colleague and friend, master teacher Gustav Meier,” Ms. Alsop says. “His commitment to shaping the talents of young musicians has been an inspiration to me, and I am looking forward to continuing that legacy and working even more closely with the wonderfully gifted students and dedicated fellow faculty at Peabody.”