Transfer market: New education chief at NY Phil
mainDeborah Borda has hired Gary A. Padmore as Director of Education and Community Engagement.
Gary has been director of Education & Community at Orchestra of St. Luke’s, where ‘he created a free concert series that celebrates works by composers of color, doubled enrolment in the youth orchestra program, and increased school and community partnerships throughout the five boroughs.’
Sounds good as long as he does not stray too far away from classical music in the name of outreach or cultural diversity.
I am a pessimist
American orchestras are going to have to venture beyond the classical canon to meet today’s standard for diversity. Orchestras near me (Balt., Wash.) are already doing this. Young orchestra players will generally embrace it.
Careful, you’re inviting yet another 50 reply string!
There’s no more diverse music than, for instance, Beethoven’s. It is understandable for women, blacks, Chinese (millions are listening to it just now), gays, genderneutrals, metrosexuals, proletarians (symph nr 5 & 9), pegidas, worrying marxists, exhausted postmodernists, children of all ages, government officials on and outside duty, disappointed hiphoppers getting older and wiser, and also for some normal people – but they know it already.
Spoken like a true John Borstlap.
There is some advice from Salonen, the NYP’s composer in residence:
http://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/06/arts/music/esa-pekka-salonen-new-york-philharmonic.html
Pure music is apparently not enough, there must be something around which turns it into something interesting.
Gary is the best. I’m so glad that he’s going to stay nearby,