Marin Alsop, BSO conductor

Five things I have to have now

By Tim Smith | Sun Reporter

January 7, 2007

Marin Alsop is one of the busiest conductors on the scene today, and also one of the brightest (with a $500,000 "genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation to prove it). Her energy, inquisitiveness and dry wit have made her quite a musical force, and local audiences are about to experience that force more often. The New York-born Alsop, 50, music director-designate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, will conduct several weeks of programs in the first half of 2007. She's likely to make an even bigger splash come September, with the start of her first full season as the first female music director of a major American orchestra.

1. A "boot camp" workout: "I work out almost every day and need a new boost, a new approach."

2. A new book by Anna Quindlen: "Whenever she writes one! I love Quindlen's writing and wish she would write more books."

3. Two-week holiday with friends and family on an island with no phone: "I'd love to escape completely from the hustle of everyday e-mails and phone calls and be able to focus entirely on family and friends without any distractions. I'd probably go crazy after three days, though."

4. BlackBerry or Treo phone: "After my holiday without any e-mails or telephone calls, I'll need a recharge. Technology, and dealing with technology, takes up so much time, doesn't it? I'd like someone else to investigate and set up all the new gadgets for me."

5. Toyota Prius: "I read that we can each have a genuine impact on the future of the environment by driving a hybrid car, so I'd like to do my part."