sugarbrie: thanks for the nod to marin alsop. she is the center of a huge improvement in the quality of the colo symphony orchestra. like zander, she gives a little talk before each piece the symphony performs. after each concert she comes into the audience for informal "chats." BTW, ms. alsop is also the principal conductor of a major orchestra in scotland. can't remember which-- SDCAMPBELL, CAN YOU LEND ME A HAND? hard to argue with any of the other choices made in this delightfully stress-free thread. the best conductor i ever have had the chance to see and hear was eugene ormandy and the phila, symphony. they performed at the maytag auditorium in ames, iowa (iowa state university). that is a great acoustic space, believe it or not. wish we had it in denver, instead of our replica of berlin's theatre-in-the-round.
