The Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship has announced its 2026–28 cohort, naming Taiwanese conductor Chi-Yuan Lin as Fellow and confirming new partnerships with orchestras in the United States, South Africa, and Poland.
Lin was selected from a pool of nearly 150 applicants representing 41 nationalities. She will serve as TACF Fellow for the 2026–28 cycle, while Michelle Di Russo has been appointed Associate Fellow. Joséphine Korda, Polina Lebedieva, Ziwei Ma, and Molly Turner were named Award Recipients.
The two-year fellowship combines mentoring with Marin Alsop, professional development opportunities, and financial support. Several members of the new cohort previously participated in the TACF Mentoring Program, highlighting the organisation’s multi-stage approach to professional development.
Chi-Yuan Lin named Fellow
Currently affiliated with the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center Ensemble, Chi-Yuan Lin is active in both operatic and symphonic settings. She has worked with orchestras in the United States, Latin America, and Europe and is currently pursuing doctoral studies in orchestral conducting at the Peabody Institute. Lin took part in the TACF Mentoring Program during the 2023–24 season.
Associate Fellow and Award Recipients
Michelle Di Russo, Music Director of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and Associate Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, was named Associate Fellow. The Award Recipients represent a broad range of professional profiles, including symphonic, operatic, and contemporary music contexts.
Among them, Joséphine Korda has conducted leading British and European orchestras and is active in both concert and theatrical settings; Polina Lebedieva currently serves as assistant conductor of the Ensemble intercontemporain; Ziwei Ma is a Conducting Fellow at the New World Symphony; and Molly Turner has held fellowship positions with major American orchestras while also maintaining an active profile as a composer.
Michelle Di Russo I PH: Roy Cox
New international partnerships
Alongside the cohort announcement, the TACF confirmed new and continuing collaborations with several orchestras, expanding opportunities for conductors within its network. These include the Reno Phil, the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra.
The partnerships encompass fellowships, conducting residencies, masterclasses, and guest engagements, and build on existing relationships between the TACF and several of the participating institutions.
Founded in 2002 by conductor Marin Alsop with the support of Tomio Taki, the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship was created to support the professional development of women conductors through mentoring, training, and performance opportunities. In addition to its biennial fellowship awards, the programme operates a Mentoring Program launched in 2022, designed to provide early-career conductors with structured guidance and access to an international professional network.
Marin Alsop
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