Australian conductor Leanna Mei-Ling has been named as one of the 10 women selected for the 2026–27 Taki Alsop Fellowship Mentoring Program.

Established in 2002 by Marin Alsop, the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship seeks to promote gender diversity within the field of conducting and is one of the most keenly sought programs in the sector.

Each year, the program selects a few outstanding candidates from a global pool of applicants, based on their skill, dedication and potential for a significant international career.

Leanna Mei-Ling. Photo supplied

Mei-Ling made her conducting debut in 2020 with West Australian Opera and has since worked with orchestras including the Hungarian National Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, where she also held a conducting fellowship and worked as the Orchestra Librarian.

She has also held fellowships with the Tasmanian, Perth and Australian Youth Orchestras. Last year, Mei-Ling was selected as a 2025 Carlos Miguel Prieto Conducting Fellow; this year, she was also selected as a Conducting Fellow with OAcademy.

“When my time with the West Australian Opera was coming to a close in 2021, I started to plan the next steps of my...