Estonian Conductor Anu Tali in Studio with Boyce Friday at 9 am

For many years, women musicians were conspicuously absent from most major orchestras.  The Vienna Philharmonic did not admit a female member until the late 1990's.  A study at that time stated that the percentage of women musicians in American orchestras in 1970 was 5%.  That number increased to 25% by 1997.  Blind auditions pushed up the hiring rate for women dramatically. Now start counting women who are conductors.  I'll wait...it won't take you very long. A number of names jump quickly to mind.  Marin Alsop.  JoAnn Faletta.  Jane Glover.  Then it becomes a bit tough. One name which surely will be much more easily remembered in Anu Tali.  She will be guest conducting with the Columbus Symphony this weekend.  In 1997, while still in her twenties, Anu Tali became a pioneering figure among young conductors when she co-founded, with her identical twin sister Kadri, the Nordic Symphony Orchestra.  She is now in demand as a guest conductor and has recently accepted the position of Music Director with the Sarasota Orchestra. She will be my guest at 9:00am Friday on Classical 101 while she is in town to conduct the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, Sibelius' 2nd Symphony, and the Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten by fellow Estonian Arvo Pärt.  I hope you can tune in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRZLxxR23K4&feature=kp