Maestro move: Israeli is Vienna’s principal guest conductor
mainThe Vienna Symphony Orchestra has named Lahav Shani principal guest conductor from 2017-18. Shani, 27, is deputising at the moment for the orch’s music director Philippe Jordan, who is invalided out for two months.
Winner of the 2013 Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg, Shani has already made a last-minute, well-received debut with the Vienna Philharmonic.
He’s also on a shortlist of three for the vacancy at Birmingham.
In his concert with Martha Argerich at the Colon last July, Barenboim invited Lahav Shani to conduct the encore, but not before having the audience repeat his name out loud three times, saying it was a name to remember. Looks like he was right.
‘He’s also on a shortlist of three for the vacancy at Birmingham.’
But isn’t Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla a nailed-on cert for that position? 🙂
🙁
Nothing’s a cert about the Birmingham position at this moment. But that that Shani is nowhere near the shortlist comes pretty close. Been extensively tried, found equally extensively wanting.
He plays piano well enough not to have to conduct.
Halldor, do you know whether the shortlist contain a third person? We have already heard of two, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and Omer Meir Wellber.
Some people (not in Birmingham, for the most part) think Shani’s still a front-runner for the Brum job. For numerous reasons (including my own assessment of his performances) I’d bet my house that he isn’t.
Wellber & Mirga are the two under closest consideration at present; I’m not aware of a third. But the CBSO is seeing a lot of new people this season; until an announcement’s made, anything is still possible.
…and the double bass as well!