CNBC reports that David Marcus, who led the New York arts school out of penury to an endowment worth one billion dollars, is leaving abruptly at the end of the month. No explanation. No confirmation. No comment, needless to say, from the very tight-lipped school.
Marcus (l.), whose take-home pay is half a million bucks, put together the toughest, blue-chip endowment board anywhere in world arts.
He will not easily be replaced. It’s buy your own pencils from now on.
Workers at the National Arts Center have voted to walk out any time after September 24, placing Pinchas Zukerman’s last season in jeopardy. Report here.
The Hungarian conductor Adam Fischer has responded with doom and dismay to the announcement by the Danish national broadcaster, DR, that is it closing down its chamber orchestra, of which he is chief conductor.
Fischer has made highly successful Mozart recordings with the orch. He says, inter alia, ‘we don’t all have 17 more years to begin all over again’.
(photo: Agnete Schlichtkrull)
Statement from Adam Fischer
Chief conductor, The Danish National Chamber Orchestra
Like most of those affected I have only now heard of the plans to close down the Danish National Chamber Orchestra. Right now I am in a state of shock; I can hardly believe that this is true, nor can I envisage an artistic future without the orchestra. I have been working with the musicians for 17 years. We have succeeded in developing an internationally unique and characteristic musical style admired – and rightly so – all over the world.
And at the very time when our work is beginning to bear fruit, when the orchestra is getting invitations from important music centres worldwide, all is in ruins – I would have sworn this was impossible. To destroy is easy; to build up and restore the lost confidence is many times harder. We do not all have 17 more years to begin all over again. I certainly do not.
Over the past few years I have seen constantly enthusiastic audiences in Copenhagen. And I’d like to think that sometimes during the concerts we have created some truly life-affirming moments. I know that the orchestra costs money. But I would like to believe that the moments of joy that the musicians of the Danish National Chamber Orchestra give their audiences are more valuable. Anyone who has ears to hear will know what I mean.
I appeal to all those who have taken pleasure in our concerts, who have delighted in experiencing Beethoven and Mozart, to think about how the orchestra can be saved.
Adam Fischer
September 10th, 2014
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra in Ohio is about to announce its new music director, starting in 2015.
It’s Rossen Milanov, 49, a Bulgarian who is presently music director of the OSPA (Orq. Sinf. de Principe de Asturias) in Oviedo, Spain. He will hold both positions, as well as a third job at the Princeton Symphony Orchestra.
Milanov replaces the Canadian Jean-Marie Zeitouni, whose contract was ‘not renewed’ by Columbus at the end of last season. Zeitouni yesterday landed a job in Colorado.
The season has started, the merry-go-round has begun.
h/t: Dianne Winsor
For ten years, he was conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra chorus and assistant to Sir Colin Davis on tour. He collected two Grammys for his work with the LSO Chorus and appeared as conductor in his own right with several leading British orchestras.
Last Friday, Joseph Cullen was arrested in Glasgow and charged with two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices. The nature of the offences was not specified and no plea was entered when he appeared in court in Glasgow on Monday.
Among other successes and distinctions cited on his website, Joseph Cullen has been director of the Huddersfield Choral Society since 1999, is an outstanding organist and is working with a Vatican institute in Rome to improve liturgical music in the Roman Catholic Church in the UK.
Caution: Presumptions of innocence apply until after the trial.
