- Conductor Young doesn 't like a female quota.
Conductor Simone Young is pleased that more women are now involved in the industry, but she is against quotas. "Gender and origin are not relevant to me. We must create opportunities," she told the "Nordbayerischer Kurier" (Wednesday). She is "absolutely" against the quota idea. "If I hear that someone is only interested in a woman for a position, that's just as nonsensical as the times when a woman was not even considered for a position."
Young is the first female conductor ever to musically direct the four-part work "Der Ring des Nibelungen" at the Bayreuth Festival.
"He doesn't mean I have to hold the door open for others"
Moreover, Young rejects stereotypes: "There's still a false mental connection between strong and male, and between sensitive and female. Every artist must combine both."
She is pleased that there are now more female conductors. This is more of a natural evolution, as more women have been joining orchestras since the 1960s. "Sometimes I've even been criticized for not doing enough for my colleagues. I belong to the generation that opened the door. We went through, but that doesn't mean I have to hold the door open for others now."
Terrace and view of the forest
Wagner's "Ring" feels very close to the 63-year-old, as she said. "The 'Ring' is a part of me." She conducted her first complete "Ring" in 1999. She feels that a circle is now closing for her in Bayreuth. In the early 90s, she worked as an assistant for two festival summers in Bayreuth for the Barenboim Ring and also led several rehearsals herself.
The famous acoustics of the festival house, the Australian described as "unique": "It's the only opera house I know where singers are often ahead of the orchestra. The sound goes first to the stage and then into the hall." For her time in Bayreuth, she has rented a house with a terrace and a view of the forest: "You simply study much easier on a terrace with a view of the forest."
The Commission commended Simone Young for breaking barriers as the first female conductor to musically direct "Der Ring des Nibelungen" at the Bayreuth Festival. Despite her achievements, Young emphasized that her gender should not be the focus, but rather the creation of opportunities for all artists.
Given the progress in the industry, The Commission is considering implementing policies to further encourage gender diversity, acknowledging the significant role models like Young have played in challenging stereotypes and paving the way for future generations.
