List of female classical conductors

The following is a partial and sortable list of female classical conductors. Classical conductors work with orchestras, opera companies, ballet companies and choral groups. This list exists in the historical context of a lack of female classical conductors in the music profession.

Name Image Country Orchestras Born Died NotesBrazilOrquestra Sinfônica Nacional da Universidade Federal Fluminense Orquestra Filarmônica de Mendoza Orquestra Sinfônica de Campinas Orquestra Filarmônica de Bogotá Orquestra Sinfônica Nacional Argentina Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira Orquestra Filarmônica de Montevideo1964First woman to be the principal conductor of the Orquestra Sinfônica Nacional da Universidade Federal Fluminense and the Orquestra Filarmônica de Bogotá. Known for her contributions to Latin American classical music and the promotion of women in conducting. United States Colorado SymphonyBournemouth Symphony OrchestraBaltimore Symphony OrchestraOrquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (OSESP)Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra1956First female conductor of the Colorado Symphony, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and of OSESP. First female conductor of the Last Night of the Proms in 2013IsraelIsrael Philharmonic OrchestraLondon Symphony OrchestraRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraBerliner Symphoniker1933Dalia Atlas has conducted 82 orchestras in concerts, festivals and recordings, radio and television in 29 countries.Sweden18411929In 1897 she was named leader of the Gothenburg Workers Institute Concerts, establishing her reputation as the first Swedish woman to conduct a symphony orchestraFranceOdyssey Symphony Orchestra1968Jessica BejaranoUnited StatesSan Francisco Philharmonic Peninsula Symphony1981 (approx)Founder and music director of the San Francisco Philharmonic. Netherlands Orange County Philharmonic 19041995DenmarkGothenburg Symphony, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra1982IsraelHouston SymphonyLouisville OrchestraIsrael Philharmonic1955Malcolm Hayes, Classic CD Magazine, 1999Canada1957FranceLondon Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony, New York Philharmonic18871979First woman to conduct the London Philharmonic Orchestra.United StatesMemphis Symphony OrchestraOnly African-American and Latinamerican conductor in the United States as of 2019.NetherlandsNew York Philharmonic, Denver Community Symphony19021989First woman to conduct the New York Philharmonic. United States Boston University Opera WorkshopOpera Company of Boston 1924 2006 First woman to conduct at the Metropolitan Opera (1976)United StatesRadio Filharmonisch Orkest1981First female chief conductor of the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, and the first female conductor to be named chief conductor of any Dutch orchestra.Canadathe Ottawa Bach ChoirCanadian choral conductor. Conductor of the first Canadian choir to be invited to sing at the Thomaskirche. Juno award nominated in 2020.PortugalOrquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Berkeley Symphony, Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa1976Hong KongNorrlandsOperanRoyal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO)Antwerp Symphony Orchestra1986First female principal guest conductor of the RSNO* First woman conductor and youngest-ever conductor named chief conductor of the Antwerp SymphonySouth KoreaQatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra1982First female music director of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. First female chief conductor of the Trondheim Symphony OrchestraUnited StatesChicago Sinfonietta, Memphis Symphony Orchestra1973First female music director each of the Chicago Sinfonietta and of the Memphis Symphony OrchestraItalyMaggio Musicale Fiorentino1976First female conductor to win a gold medal in 2001 in an international conducting competition and the second conductor to receive a Fulbright congressional grant. France/United Kingdom St Louis Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Berlin Konzerthaus1999Principal Guest Conductor of Barcelona Symphony OrchestraGlyndebourne OperaUnited StatesCosmopolitan Opera Company; Jewish American Opera Company18781952First female in New York to conduct an opera. First female in United States to conduct a grand opera."Mme. Coen Is First of Sex to Wield Baton in Grand-Opera in America", New York Review, 10 February 1917.United KingdomRoyal Albert Hall, Royal Marines, Coleridge-Taylor Symphony Orchestra19031998First female conductor of the H.M.S Royal Marines. Guest conductor, BBC Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony OrchestraSadie, Julie Anne and Rhian Samuel. Eds. The Norton/Grove Dictionary of Women Composers. Macmillan: New York, 1995.FranceGrand Rapids Symphony, American Symphony Orchestra1944AustraliaGlasgow New Music Expedition1979First female chief conductor of the Canberra Symphony OrchestraHungaryHungarian Opera, since 19831958MexicoPhilharmonic Orchestra of the AmericasQueensland Symphony Orchestra1980First female conductor at the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.Latvia19292011Michelle Di RussoArgentinaNorth Carolina Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony OrechestraUnited KingdomORA Singers1958 Poland Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra Amadeus in Poznan 1946 Russia Junior conductor of the Moscow State Symphony OrchestraPrincipal conductor of the Moscow State Symphony OrchestraSymphony Orchestra of Russia 19162009 First 20th century female symphony orchestra conductorUnited KingdomEnglish National Opera, Ensemble Modern1959First female music director of English National OperaDuchen, Jessica and Richard Wigmore. "Edwards, Sian", Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, accessed 2 June 2011 FranceAccentus1962United StatesVirginia Symphony OrchestraBuffalo Philharmonic OrchestraUlster Orchestra1954First female music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. First female chief conductor of the Ulster OrchestraAustraliaThe Australian Ballet1960 The world's only woman music director of a ballet company.Jeremy Story Carter, " Australian Ballet music director calls out sexism in classical music world", ABC Radio National, 13 June 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016AustriaL'arpa festante, L'Orfeo1957"Gaigg, Michi", Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon onlinePolandOpéra national de Lorraine1988First female music director of the Opéra national de Lorraine.GermanyNürnberger SymphonikerMozarteum Orchestra SalzburgSWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und FreiburgStaatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Hofer Symphoniker1947First female conductor of these and other German Symphony Orchestras between 1975 and 1980. Conductor of the Orchestra of Hochschule für Musik Freiburg in 1965, Founder and conductor of Orchestra Gelmini since 1969. "The gathering critical judgement of Hortense von Gelmini, Germany's only woman conductor, is that she has not only the talent but the education, energy, and persistence to make her mark in this difficult and competitive profession."David Mutch in The Christian Science Monitor, February 25, 1976, Boston, USUnited KingdomLondon Repertoire Orchestra, Chanticleer Orchestra19211999Founded the London Repertoire Orchestra and the Chanticleer Orchestra, served as conductor and music director for the City of Birmingham Choir.United KingdomLondon Mozart Players, Music of the Baroque, Chicago1949First female music director of the London Mozart Players and of Music of the Baroque, Chicago. Third woman to conduct the Metropolitan Opera.Brazil18471935First female conductor in Brazil.United StatesSpecial Jury Prize, 50th Geneva International Conducting Competition1967Founded FORCULTURE in 2014WDPR-FM. "Interview with Conductor Karen Gorden", WDPR Public Radio, date of original interview to be confirmed. Retrieved on 30 July 2015. Lithuania Salzburger LandestheaterCity of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) 1986First female music director of the CBSOVenezuela1953FranceLe Concert d'Astrée1962First woman to conduct at Lyric Opera of ChicagoCanadaGothenburg Symphony OrchestraLudwig Orchestra1971First female principal guest conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony OrchestraUnited KingdomTheatre orchestras18571940Conducted (for example) the play Beethoven's Romance at the Royalty Theatre, London in 1894.Musical News, 8 December 1894, Volume 7, p. 483United StatesMinnesota Orchestra1972United StatesChicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra19211998Founder and director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus.United Kingdom19071984 Taiwan / United States1956Laura Jackson United StatesReno Philharmonic Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra China1982 (approx)AustraliaEl Paso Symphony Orchestra, Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Tacoma Symphony Orchestra1972FranceChoeur de Radio FranceBBC Singers, Ars Nova Copenhagen1976First female chief conductor of the Choeur de Radio France, the BBC Singers, and of Ars Nova CopenhagenUnited KingdomOper Köln, Staatstheater Darmstadt, Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal1961 United States Slovenian National TheatreStaatsoper Hannover 1970Neumann, Carolin (2 February 2011). "Karen Kamensek, Dirigentin: 'Eine Frauenquote in der Musik? Unmöglich!'". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 16 December 2015. United StatesNew York City Master Chorale1965Czech RepublicCzech Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra19151940The Norton/Grove Dictionary of Women Composers, pp.245-46.United StatesBerkeley Youth Orchestra, Berkeley, California Holy Names-Mills College Orchestra, Oakland, California