Marin Alsop (born October 16, 1956) is an American conductor and violinist. She is the current music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Alsop was born in New York City to professional musician parents. She attended Yale University, but later transferred to the Juilliard School, where she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees, both in violin. She founded the string ensemble String Fever in 1981. She won the Koussevitzky Prize as outstanding student conductor at the Tanglewood Music Center in 1989