I can imagine, as someone who has appeared on stage as a singer with lots and lots of orchestras, now suddenly it’s, “Wait, you’re the singer. Why are you on the podium?

Yeah, and when you’re the singer – if you sing well – everyone loves you. When you step on the podium, it’s a different story.

Since you were appointed to this post, you have been granted another post. You are the head of the Atlanta Symphony at a time when there is no woman at the head of the great American orchestras . I wonder what you think of it. So you are, as far as female conductors are concerned at the moment.

I don’t think of myself as a female conductor when I come to work with an orchestra, I’m just – I’m a conductor… What I really love about Atlanta is that I’m absolutely sure I don’t. not to have been chosen because I am a woman. I was chosen because they like my music. They love to work with me and they thought I was the right person.

Finally, I wanted to ask you about this week, about the program. Is there something in particular that you are passionate about about this program?

Well, there are two things that are exciting. First of all, the opening piece is a piece by Missy Mazzoli, who is a young American composer, whom I really appreciate. It’s great for me to serve the music of his young American talent.

And Schubert’s symphony is a monster. It is one of the most difficult symphonies to play or conduct. But I like monsters… It’s very special music for me because Schubert wrote this symphony exactly like he writes the songs, and I sang so many Schubert songs… So I try to convey it all, everything I have learned as a singer sing Schubert my whole life.