Females make inroads into conducting

"Life as a young conductor is never easy. There are too few jobs for too many talented newcomers. Orchestras' governing boards tend to be a conservative lot, unwilling to step out onto too many limbs artistically or operationally. And in 2009, there is always the steady undercurrent of anxiety, real or imagined, about the financial viability of classical music and opera."

For the full story, please see Variety.