Marin Alsop, who became the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's 12th music director in September 2007, will remain in that post until 2015 under the terms of a five-year contract announced Thursday. That contract will begin when her initial three-year deal ends in September 2010.
"I'm very, very happy about it," Alsop said.
So is the orchestra. News of the contract "was greeted warmly," said Laurie Sokoloff, head of the players committee.
Though Alsop's appointment as music director famously triggered opposition from BSO musicians displeased with the orchestra's previous management and the way the search was conducted, it dissipated quickly.
"It's been a growing relationship with Marin," Sokoloff said. "She challenges us, she educates us and she inspires us. Marin is a powerhouse of energy. She gets more accomplished when we're together than any music director we've worked with."
Salary terms were not disclosed.
BSO president and CEO Paul Meecham called the contract "a statement of our belief in Marin's leadership of the organization. She is a visionary for the direction orchestras need to be headed in if they are to have greater relevance to a broader number of people in the community."
Alsop's interest in outreach led to the creation of OrchKids, an after-school music training program launched last year at a West Baltimore elementary school. The conductor pledged $100,000 of her own money in the form of a matching grant.
"It would be nice to be able to expand on educational initiatives ... reaching out to the adult community, too," she said.
Other Alsop goals include the filling of orchestra vacancies and an international tour with the BSO.
"I'd also like to have a really successful summer series," Alsop said. "That would require risk-taking and some capital."
During Alsop's first two seasons, the orchestra has resumed making commercial CDs after a nearly decade-long hiatus. Programming has been enlivened by the inclusion of works by such contemporary composers as Philip Glass, John Adams and Thomas Ades, and a presentation last fall of Leonard Bernstein's Mass, performed to considerable acclaim in New York and Washington, as well as Baltimore.
Sokoloff calls Alsop "a dream music director for these challenging times. It's wonderful to know we're going to have her on our side."
"I'm happy with what we're achieved so far," Alsop said, "and I just want to keep things going."
