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00:00Yip Wing-sie is a music director of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta a position she has held since 2002. She is a first Hong Kong woman conductor to lead a professional orchestra. She's had a long and illustrious career leading world famous orchestras all over the world and has received numerous awards for her work . She joins us today to discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by female conductors on a global level. One area where I'm curious to see I mean have you seen much change is in gender equality within the musical space. I know there are more women in orchestras now but when you look at conductors especially conductors of world renowned orchestras there's still very few . I agree. Yes. But compared to say 30 years ago when I first started my career it is already picking up. And there are more opportunities for women conductors nowadays at least at the beginning of their career . And so hopefully in the near future more and more women will be in a more leading position . There are of course still seem to be barriers though if you think about Vienna which is considered really the capital of classical music globally. Right. The Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra has a woman leading it for the first time in its 50 year history. So are there still barriers at that top level when it comes to becoming a music director or a conductor. And what are those barriers. I think it may have to do with the tradition especially in Europe. It has always been the men's world . And as far as classical music is concerned and for a woman to be on the podium is is very difficult. But having said that and things have really changed and maybe because more and more women have joined this conducting business. Right. And then there are more choices and then people are beginning to see the talent that some of these women conductors have. So I strongly believe in something that if you're good that people will recognize it eventually. So I'm happy to see that there's a beginning. There's at least that's the hope right. Yes. I want to talk to you about blind auditions. You know the process where people audition from behind a curtain or behind a screen . The US used it extensively in the 70s and 80s and the result was greater representation both across from minorities and also in gender. You've been doing that here in Hong Kong. Yes. How has that changed or you know affected the composition of your orchestra . Well when I first started with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta back in 2002 I decided to use this blind audition method and because I almost knew everybody in town. Hong Kong is a very small place. Right . And it would seem fair if I don't know the identity of the candidate who is auditioning in the first stage so that we can make our judgment according to what we hear. But eventually when this candidate gets into the second round or the final round we will have the curtain down so that we see who they are . And because in an audition in the performance you need to be able to see what the person is like while they are performing. That's very importan. Do you think It's important though to have blind auditions as a tool to increase . More women participate to to have more women participating in orchestras around the world. Are you an advocate of that . I think every country every place has its own tradition and in their concern. I don't think a blind audition is a must . And I think maybe for some people it is a kind of consolation that they think it is fair. But eventually I think and whether it be a blind audition or an open audition whoever plays well to stand bigger opportunity to get the job. So you said that the podium has always been a very male dominated space yet you've been very successful as a conductor for large sinfonietta. What can women and other industries learn from your experience of making it in a man's world. Well when they first started to pick up conducting I I actually never thought of my gender. I just enjoyed conducting. I wanted to learn more. And I put a lot of thought work into what I was studying and I just tried my best. And I think I have always been a sincere person and the sincere musician. And that is something that will help you win the respect from your fellow musicians. So I think no matter what you are doing I think you've got to be truthful to yourself and just work. Work really really hard. You are stepping down in 2020 after a very long and rewarding career when your successor takes over if your successor as a woman what do you think the landscape is going to look like for her compared to what it looks like for you when you joined the Hong Kong Sinfonietta 18 years ago. When I joined Hong Kong Sinfonietta 18 years ago the orchestra was only three years old . It turned professional in 1999. So it was a very very young orchestra. So my main job was to help develop this orchestra and to to raise the performing standard of this orchestra. And I think we've come a long way. So whoever is going to succeed whether it be men or women . I think the biggest challenge is to take this orchestra to another level artistically. And and even if it is a women conductor I don't think she will have to worry too much about her gender at all because this orchestra and the audience in Hong Kong have seen me around for so long. So there is nothing unusual .

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Gender Equality in the World of Orchestral Music

On Bloomberg Equality today, we spoke to Yip Wing-Sie, music director of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta since 2002, and is the first woman to do so. She spoke to Bloomberg's Mallika Kapur about the challenges and opportunities faced by female conductors on a global level. (Source: Bloomberg)

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