The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales has attacke the recent tax break for orchestras as ‘cultural snobbery’. It said the relief would be exploited by tax avoiders in much same way as film tax havens.
Nice guys. More in the FT here.
Our chums at resmusica report that Daniele Rustioni with succeed Kazushi Ono as chief condutor of the Lyon Opera in 2017. A comet on the Italian opera scene, Rustioni, 32, has been on the loose since he quit Bari last year.
The president of the LA Phil is taking a teaching sabbatical later this year. Who’s gonna drive the Dude while she’s out of town?
Press release below.
Los Angeles, CA (March 11, 2015) – Los Angeles Philharmonic Association President and CEO Deborah Borda and Music Director Gustavo Dudamel have announced the promotions of Gail Samuel to the position of Executive Director and Chad Smith to the position of Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. In addition to continuing to oversee Hollywood Bowl operations, jazz, world music, orchestral pops and pop/rock programming by the Association, public relations and community affairs, Samuel will now also oversee marketing and human resources. Samuel will be a key liaison to the County of Los Angeles, and while Borda is on sabbatical in the fall of 2015, Samuel will serve as Acting President and CEO. In Smith’s new post, in addition to continuing to oversee artistic planning and education, he will also supervise the orchestra, operations, concert production, recorded media and the centennial celebration planning.
“As we approach the centennial of the LA Phil it is timely to look to the future and determine how to most effectively deploy the major talents of our administrative leaders for a vibrant institution,” commented Borda. “It gives me great pleasure to recognize two of the brightest stars in the orchestra field today. Both Gail Samuel and Chad Smith have demonstrated track records of significant achievement and creativity. Gustavo and I are delighted to recognize their accomplishments and look forward to the continued accomplishments of our LA Phil team.”
“It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to continue my work and growth at the LA Phil with Gustavo, Deborah, the Board, and my phenomenal colleagues. As a native Angeleno, I couldn’t be prouder of the work being done by this organization and am thrilled to be part of it,” added Samuel.
“The LA Phil has been my creative and professional home for well over a decade,” commented Smith. “As we look ahead to our centennial and beyond, I am thrilled to be a part of this leadership team which will help define what a vibrant, risk-taking orchestral organization can and should be.”
GAIL SAMUEL serves as Executive Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. In this post, Samuel oversees Hollywood Bowl operations, jazz, world music, orchestral pops and pop/rock programming by the Association, management of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, public relations, community affairs, marketing and human resources. Samuel’s tenure at the Los Angeles Philharmonic began 25 years ago when she joined the orchestra operations department of the organization. Over the course of her career she rose through the organization, most recently as Chief Operating Officer. Previous positions include Vice President and General Manager, Philharmonic and Production, managing the orchestra as well as all concert production, touring and media activities. Prior to coming to the Philharmonic, she held positions with the Minnesota Orchestra, Yale University, Tanglewood Music Festival and the Young Musicians Foundation. Samuel studied violin and earned undergraduate degrees in music and psychology and an MBA from the University of Southern California. She has served on the Board of Councilors for the USC Thornton School of Music since 2009.
The precipitate decline of a hybrid American art form continues. In the 2014 annual stats from Nielsen, just out, jazz accounted for just 1.4 percent of music sales – exactly the same as classical music but falling faster. Three years ago, jazz commanded 2.8 percent of the market with 11 million album sales. In 2014, just 5.2 million jazz albums changed hands. Classical, by contrast, held steady – albeit at a historic low ebb.
Details here.
Vatican Radio has announced the death of one of the best known musicians in the English Church. Nick Gale, 39, Master of Music at the Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of St George’s Southwark, died yesterday morning in a collision in Kensington between his motorbike and a cement lorry. See here.
Staff at the yellow label are being told this morning that label chief Mark Wilkinson is being moved to anotther role within the parent company, Universal Music, as Vice President International Strategy & Artist Development.
That leaves DG headless once more. Wilko has been in charge since the dismissal of Michael Lang in 2012. He has broguht two major pinaists to the label – Daniil Trifonov and Grigory Sokolov – but there were complaonts that DG was continuing to lose its core identity.
A search is now on for a new chief – almost certainly Austro-German – who will raise the label’s heartland profile at a time of great change in German music, with both Berlin and Munich appointing new conductors. Press release below.
LONDON, 11 MARCH 2015 – Dickon Stainer, Universal Music’s President of Global Classics, has today appointed Mark Wilkinson to the new role of Vice President International Strategy & Artist Development. Wilkinson will continue to serve as President of Deutsche Grammophon, reporting jointly to Stainer and to Frank Briegmann, Universal Music’s President of Central Europe, until a successor is appointed in due course.
This new role follows Stainer’s appointment as President of Global Classics last November. Based out of Universal Music’s Global Classics headquarters in London and reporting to Stainer, as VP International Strategy & Artist Development Wilkinson will spearhead the commercial development of new partners to extend the global reach and success of classical artists and classical music. He will work on projects with UMG’s roster of classical superstars and new artists as well as driving opportunities to expose people around the world to the rich and historic catalogues of Universal Music’s Deutsche Grammophon and Decca labels.
Wilkinson has been President of Deutsche Grammophon since 2012 and he will continue to oversee the day-to-day operations of the company in Berlin until a successor is appointed by Frank Briegmann and Dickon Stainer.
Dickon Stainer said: “I’m delighted that Mark is taking up this new role which sits right at the very heart of our new global strategy for classical music. Mark is one of the most experienced classical executives in the world with a record of developing and nurturing artists of the highest calibre and in this new role he will be a huge asset in strengthening our global footprint for classical music.
“Together with Frank Briegmann we will find the best possible next leader for Deutsche Grammophon, someone who knows and understands the unique culture of this most legendary of labels.”
Frank Briegmann said: “I want to thank Mark for the great work he has done for Deutsche Grammophon over the past few years. He has strengthened our core repertoire, brought new crossover ideas and successfully integrated the teams at Deutsche Grammophon and Universal Music Classics Germany. Together we have made a number of strategic changes which the label will benefit from going forward such as innovative digital distribution channels and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with him in the future. I want to congratulate Mark on his new appointment and wish him the best of luck and success and I have no doubt that he will continue to play an important role for Deutsche Grammophon and its fantastic artists.”
Mark Wilkinson (pictured with Piotr Beczala, above) said: “I’d like to thank Dickon for asking me to join his global team in this new role. It’s a genuine honour to have been part of Frank’s team at Deutsche Grammophon and I look forward to continuing to work with Universal Music’s distinguished roster of artists and committed executives around the world.”
Remember the scion of a ruling family who caused a Korea Air jet to turn back because she didn’t like the nuts she was served?
A similar saga is now playing out at the Seoul Philharmonic.
The orchestra’s offices were raided by police today on the orders of the former CEO, a member of another of the ruling dynasties who was forced to resign after being accused of sexual harrassment and bullying. Ms Park swore she would not go quietly.
First, she mobilised media connections to broadcast a TV hatchet-job ‘documentary’ on the orchestra and its music director, Myung Whun Chung.
Now she has used government friends to send police into the orchestra’s offices in search of documents that might in some way incriminate her accusers.
Ms Park will not desist until the orchestra is brought to its knees.
Over the past few years, the Seoul Philharmonic has earned world rank, a DG recording contract and widespread admiration. Ms Park wants to destroy these national gains in pursuit of personal vengeance. Large sections of Korea’s family-owned media are cheering her on.
She may well succeed.
The miraculously resurrected San Diego Opera has named David Bennett as its chief executive. Bennett, 50, has made his name at Gotham Chamber Opera, a Manhattan outift that does offbeat shows in non-trad venues. Good call.
Bennett will earn $200,000 – less than half the salary of his predecessor, Ian Campbell.
A candidate for both major US podium vacancies in DC and New York, Semyon Bychkov was forced to cancel last summer’s engagements with a damaged hip. He has now cancelled a US spring tour after undergoing hip surgery.
Doctors say it’s too soon for long-distance travel. San Francisco and St Louis are the orchestras affected. He’s still hoping to make Chicago in late April.
We wish Semyon a speedy bounce-back.
Just in from a Seoul eyewitness:
The police just came to the Seoul Phil office and confiscated the phones and computers of employees who signed the complaint against the former CEO, Park Hyun-jun. She is suing them. She seems determined to destroy this organisation. There will be more bad news later today …
UPDATE: There must have been 10 cops here this morning – and they talk about the orchestra being a waste of the taxpayer’s money.
UPDATE here.
Thomas Dausgaard, 51, will succeed Donald Runnicles at the head of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
press release:
Thomas Dausgaard will take over from Donald Runnicles as the orchestra’s Chief Conductor in September 2016.
Renowned for his creativity and innovation in programming and his extensive range of critically-acclaimed recordings, Dausgaard has appeared with orchestras around the world and is currently Chief Conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Seattle Symphony and Honorary Conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra.
As a guest conductor with the BBC SSO Dausgaard has performed a wide range of repertoire from Dvořák and Tchaikovsky to Ives, Lindberg and Schnelzer, and in a range of settings from the City Halls in Glasgow to the St Magnus International Festival in Orkney.
On his appointment Dausgaard said: “The infectious joy of making music with the BBC SSO makes it a great honour and pleasure to become its Chief Conductor from 2016/17. I am a fond admirer of the orchestra’s creativity, team-spirit and excellence, and I look forward very much to exploring all the exciting possibilities which lie ahead of us.”
Ken MacQuarrie, Director of BBC Scotland, said: “Creativity is the lifeblood of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard will ensure the orchestra continues to be one of the most dynamic and boundary pushing orchestras in Scotland and the world.”
The Malaysian Philharmonic, under boycott by international musicians organisations for unfair dismissals, is advertising a new round of auditions in Germany. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. A corrrespondent writes:
With great concern I see the MPO advertising for a new round of auditions in Germany at “muv.ac”, in “Das Orchester” and at the MPO website. Muv.ac. What really bothers me is the fact that the positions at muv.ac are advertised as “permanent” This is simply misleading. Those are two year contracts and technically you can be fired anytime without any reason given with 6 months’ notice.
There are around 30 vacancies to fill (comparing the current listing on the website with the original size in 1998) and the fact that – with exception of the double bass – ALL string principal positions are vacant speaks volumes about the current state of affairs.
