A few weeks before being named ‘Best New Conductor’ at the 2026 Victoires de la Musique Classique awards, Alizé Léhon took part in the La Maestra conducting competition. Discover her conducting the Paris Mozart Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris.

Faced with the striking fact that in 2019, only 4.3 per cent of orchestras were led by women, the Philharmonie de Paris and the Paris Mozart Orchestra joined forces. From this desire to shatter the ‘glass ceiling’ came La Maestra, the first international competition exclusively dedicated to female conductors.

In 2026, the competition celebrates its fourth edition. Although the proportion of women leading permanent orchestras has risen to 8 per cent, this springboard remains essential. This year, sixteen candidates from around the world are competing before a prestigious jury chaired by the Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyni. The competition takes place in three key stages: two days of preliminary rounds, a semi-final, and then a final.