Canada names woman music director, (not) only its second

Canada names woman music director, (not) only its second

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norman lebrecht

July 05, 2015

Gemma New has been appointed music director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.

She is only the second woman to take charge of a Canadian orch, the other being Tania Miller at the Victoria Symphony Orchestra*.

Gemma, 28, a New Zealander who studied at Peabody, is presently associate conductor with the New Jersey SO. ‘She’s everything we want in a music director,’ says the Hamilton board chairman.

gemma new

UPDATE: Apparently not; there are more.

Comments

  • Susan Weiss says:

    Not so, Canada has three women Music Directors: “I’m Rosemary Thomson, I am in my sixth season as Music Director at the OSO”

  • Mikey says:

    There are a ton of women music directors of orchestras in Canada.
    The Orchestre Metropolitain had Agnes Grossman as its MD for years, and this almost two decades ago.

  • skeptic says:

    Susan Haig led the Windsor Symphony Orchestra for almost a decade.

  • windsorguy says:

    And the Windsor Symphony Orchestra had Susan Haig from 1992-2001….so far that makes Gemma New the 4th in Canada….

  • C Lee says:

    Anne Manson – Manitoba Chamber Orchestra

    • Theodore McGuiver says:

      True. Anne really seems to have scaled down her commitments these last few years, though. She got off to a blinding start after graduating from the RCM – Vienna Phil in Salzburg, LA Phil etc.

  • Max Grimm says:

    You are incorrect Norman, in stating “She is only the second woman to take charge of a Canadian orch[estra]”.
    As quick search reveals that there are/were Agnès Grossmann (MD of the Orchestre Métropolitain 1986-1995), Susan Haig (MD of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra 1991-2000), Rosemary Thomson (MD of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra since 2011) and Anne Manson (MD of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra since 2008).

  • Mikey says:

    In Montréal alone, there are at least 5-6 orchestras (from professional chamber groups to professional symphonies) that have until recently had women as M.D.

    And the Orchestre Metropolitain, Yannik Nézet-Séguin’s permanent position at this time, is certainly as good an orchestra as the Hamilton group.

  • RW2013 says:

    The video looks like it’s her first time in front of her student orchestra.

  • Paul Wells says:

    Jeanne Lamon was music director of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra in Toronto for 33 years.

  • Brian Garner says:

    Judith Yan is Director of Guelph Symphony Orchestra.

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