Happy news: Mirga is expecting a baby
mainMessage from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra:
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Music Director Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and her partner are pleased to announce they are expecting a baby at the end of August. Mirga will take a short maternity leave from July until mid-November 2018 when she will resume conducting the CBSO in the orchestra’s 2018-19 concert season at Symphony Hall and around the world. She remains fully committed to her role as Music Director and is currently working on artistic plans for the new season, to be announced in the coming months. Stephen Maddock OBE, Chief Executive of the CBSO, commented that “the whole CBSO family is delighted about Mirga’s wonderful news”.
Congrats to the parents. Sad that they feel the need to write that she “remains fully committed to her role as music director”. That should go without saying in this day and age, that one can have a baby and a demanding career.
The type of happy news that not even Leonard Bernstein coud match.
Why don’t they mention the father? Is he Peter Hartmann of the period-instrument Heidelberger Sinfoniker? Wenn ja, hat er einen Namen! Why be public about the baby and all mysterious about a “partner”? Are they not married? Why not? Wouldn’t that be better for the baby? Where do they live, Heidelberg? Maestra should either keep it to herself or tell the story, not make a grand shallow CBSO announcement and act like the rest is none of our business. And yes, a baby bump is something we could have figured out without use of the press office.
I hope maestra is busy with music and her growing family, and not with CBSO press releases or the relentless campaign in her favor from slipped disc.
I don’t know how they could avoid an announcement when she has to take a leave. I also don’t see why she has to disclose further details. You seem quite sure she was deliberately acting mysterious to pique interest and invite attentions. What a perceptive person you must be to be able to detect such hidden schemes! I’m impressed.
Translation: “Why are you telling us this? And why aren’t you telling us more?”
Oh Olassus, they don’t mention the father because he is a married man, father of two little children…. What a shame
I wished all men conductors took paternity leaves as well.
Especially old(er) established maestros.
+1
Indeed. It would be symbolic and precedent setting.
However, since big name MDs work so few weeks anyway (10!) per season, for all practical purposes, their entire year is one long (parental) leave!
Grazinyte-Tyla’s predecessor as music director at the CBSO, Andris Nelsons, did in fact take paternity leave during his tenure, as well as several other stretches of parental leave which required him to withdraw from numerous concerts. Exactly as on this occasion, the reasons were explained at the time, and people by and large responded with understanding and compassion, as well as respect for his privacy. A precedent which many commentators on this site would do well to observe.
I heard her here with the Philadelphia Orchestra in the Mahler 4th. She’s very attractive but the Philly Inquirer reviewer felt in necessary to mention her weight, something on the matter of her being “as thin as a rail”.
Two reactions:
– What were they reviewing? A concert or a beauty contest?
– Oh boy, the obesity epidemic is affecting some people’s perceptions. Her weight would have looked normal, in fact great, until a generation ago.
Why the truth should be hidden? Because you guys know that it’s shame and fault. I don’t understand why my comment is erased by someone. I tell the truth. Her partner has family, that’s why i cannot be happy with this news. If you are not shame, this comment should be remained.
Are you certain? Your declaration is considerable that it will affect their surrounding(especially the family of her partner)…
You mean that the father is a married man with children ? That would explain the mystery around this whole thing ….if true shameful …
Old-fashioned and so last-century, I know, but who cares more about the nurturing of a new baby more than the directorship of an orchestra? (Puts hand up.)
Are you offering to be the child’s nanny then?
Mirga conducted an incredibly mesmerizing program of Debussy, Mussorgsky and Tchaikovsky tonight at Carnegie Hall! Absolutely electrifying!
Brava! May she soon return to New York!