By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Los Angeles Newspaper Group

The news that Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla has been named music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in England has become a big deal in the classical music world. It’s a giant step for the 29-year-old Latvian-born conductor (her name is pronounced MEER-gah grah-zhee-NEE-teh tee-LA), who succeeds Andris Nelson, who left the CBSO to become music director of the Boston Symphony. Among her predecessors is Sir Simon Rattle, who moved from the CBSO to become music director of the Berlin Philharmonic in 1998.

Her appointment helps crack open the glass ceiling that has held down women conductors in recent years, so she will be under even greater scrutiny than would be the case for one of the world’s foremost orchestras.

Michael Cooper broke the story in the New York Times (LINK). Mark Swed, music critic at the Los Angeles Times, who has been among Mirga’s biggest supporters since her Hollywood Bowl debut in 2014, offers an excellent perspective HERE.
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(c) Copyright 2016, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.