Troubled orchestra dumps conductor
mainHET symfonieorkest, the financially troubled orchestra of East Netherlands, has dropped its chief conductor Jan Willem de Vriend and will not replace him.
Guest conductors will fill in until the new admin finds out whether the orch can be kept afloat.
De Vriend was in the podium for ten years while the orch overspent wildly and tried to steal a name from a rival ensemble. His chief exec partner, Hans Mannak, was forced out in November.
In an interview here, the conductor says he’s leaving of his own accord.
UPDATE: It is further reported that several of the musicians are being reduced to part-time contracts.
Seems to me De Vriend’s contract expired in 2017. Nobody dumped anybody! By the way, maybe make sure you quote your sources right: they are called “Orkest van het Oosten”, and abroad The Netherlands Symphony. And yes, Jaap van Zweden was previous chief conductor of this wonderful group!