Lightning conductor

Joana Mallwitz is the first woman to lead a Berlin orchestra. And no, despite the inevitable comparisons, she still hasn't seen the film Tár

- Kate Connolly

For months Joana Mallwitz's image has been plastered on billboards throughout Berlin, heralding her arrival as the new chief conductor at the Konzerthaus. She is, they proclaim, "the next big thing". A virtual unknown figure in the Berlin capital until recently, the musician says she can no longer go to the supermarket without being recognised.

"The build-up was massive," says Mallwitz, who was inaugurated last month. "I had to push it all away from me, saving myself as it were, by concentrating on getting to know the musicians, or on how I want to conduct bar 17 of a particular violin symphony."

It is with a certain unease that Mallwitz seeks to explain the enthusiasm with which her appointment has been received. There is her youth. Having started her career aged 19, she is now, aged 37, by far the youngest music director to lead a house in Berlin's teeming classical music world, which boasts seven large orchestras and three opera houses.

There is also the fact she is female. In the more than 300 years in which the city has been a thriving and influential music centre, her appointment marks the first time the top job in a leading Berlin orchestra has been given to a woman.

"This is of absolutely no relevance to my work," she says. "When you're standing in front of an orchestra, you're only concerned with one question: 'Does it work or not?' It's what a conductor's life depends on". On the other hand, Mallwitz is quick to say she's not realitätsfremdout of touch with reality. "I realise there is still the need to talk about these matters. The perfect situation would be if we arrive at a place when it's no longer interesting to even ask me the question."