Another man joins all-male conductors list

Another man joins all-male conductors list

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norman lebrecht

May 12, 2017

Owain Park, a British hopeful, signed this week to the Hazard Chase agency, which only represents male conductors. Look here.

In this day and age…

Here’s a rant on the subject.

Comments

  • Jonathan Grieves-Smith says:

    Owain is a superb musician, performer & composer – a terrific signing.

  • George says:

    What about that?
    https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/119636-womens-conducting-masterclass-marin-alsop-2017

    I’m not trying to keep anyones’ part, but between a man and a woman, (regardless of race, religion, sexuality, etc) anytime, the succesful candidate should be the best one, not the one who is more politically correct to engage.

    • Will Duffay says:

      Bit odd that so many are men, though, wouldn’t you think? Equality isn’t ‘politically correct’ (and there’s a tiresome, thoughtless phrase, if ever there were one), unless you think women aren’t as capable of being good conductors, do you?

      • George says:

        Please read again what I wrote and don’t make presumptions.

      • Anon says:

        Will, it isn’t a question of capability to be a conductor. An agent is presented with a grouping of women and of men who -are- conductors. As a straightforward observation, and for whatever reasons, right now there are simply more male conductors than there are female conductors.
        Signing someone simply to add a gender to their roster would be patronising and demeaning to the person signed, which is not quite what we’d like to see achieved, I suggest.

      • John Borstlap says:

        Sally here says that men are per definition not politically correct, whatever they do.

  • Craig says:

    However he signed with his vocal ensemble, the Gesualdo Six, not just as an independent conductor.

    Might be important to note that. Not that you thought it was relevant, I guess.

  • Steven Holloway says:

    RE the YT video, I can only say that SD’s “rant” is another man’s or woman’s considered analysis and argument. Revealing difference, though.

  • Peter Phillips says:

    Is it just me or do there seem to be more and more young conductors with very little real, accumulated experience coming out of the woodwork? The way things are going with orchestra closures and mergers there won’t be enough to go round for all the aspiring stick waggers.

  • Alexander Platt says:

    This is absolutely ridiculous.

  • ben LEGEBEKE says:

    What bullshit. I worked with a couple of feminine conductors. Like Alsop,Falletta,Mälkki and Ann Manson. They were all very mediocre at their best. All conducting with comical movements and a very peculiar technique. You should judge someone on his merits and not on her gender.

  • Alexander Platt says:

    I disagree. No one conducts American music better than Marin Alsop, and Jo Ann Falletta’s revival of the Buffalo Philharmonic has made her a role model in this industry.

    • Steve P says:

      Don’t know anything about Faletta, but I do cherish Alsop’s recording of Rouse’s “Gorgon” from her Colorado days.
      No one better at American music, though…Tilson Thomas, Schwartz, Spano, and Robertson say, “AHEM.”

    • John says:

      American music? Did we forget Bernstein for some reason, with all he did for American composers of his time?

  • Alexander Platt says:

    Bernstein was the ultimate genius, but he’s not exactly available right now.

  • Shell says:

    Shame that this young conductors achievements are being over shadowed and used to fuel this debate. Maybe take it up with the agency instead of this young man. Congrats Owain!

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