Montreal issues statement on its music director
mainFurther to yesterday’s report on Slipped Disc, the OSM have sent us this clarification:
The process enabling to find a future Music Director for the OSM is under way and no conclusive decision has been made on the matter. The research committee will make recommendations to the executive committee of the Orchestra but no deadline has been set for determining the next Music Director.
Phew, that’s a relief…
Standard PR tactic: it might rain, then it might not rain.
Basically committee-speak for “We’re working on it.”
A committee making a recommendation to another committee; sounds like a sure fire recipe to hire a complete dud.
That’s how it normally works. The search committee (“research” committee in this post?) chooses the winning candidate after whatever kind of selection process they see fit to conduct, but they don’t have the power to actually hire the person. They submit that person’s name to the executive committee, which usually rubber-stamps the decision and formally offers the person the job. I suppose that might not happen if they can’t come to a contractual agreement or something.
FYI, that’s how a regional or civic orchestra does things; it’s not how an international powerhouse operates. The “beauty pageant” is an artistic and operational joke not to mention a enormous strain on staff and the lowest common denominator of marketing tools. Orchestras operating on high artistic levels make offers to conductors with whom they have a successful track record of guest engagements and not from candidates who “look good on paper” to a committee.
That’s why it’s been very clear that they won’t appoint anyone who has not conducted the OSM. Every single candidate has/will be invited to guest conduct.
You’re yelling at a fig leaf here.
Also known as the hiring committee managing the hiring process and submitting their choice to the Board.
As in, any company ever that has to do a high-level hire.
This was completely obvious, given that Gražinytė-Tyla has never ever conducted in Montreal. Now I’m curious to know where SD got its information about the “shortlist”, as I have never heard anything about a formalized shortlist.
I wonder if I’m on the shortlist. I go to most of their concerts. I should get a shot!
Nezet-Seguin? Canadian and competent.
Nezet-Seguin has the other orchestra in town – The Orchestre Métropolitain – and has never conducted the OSM for that reason (although nicer relations between the two Montréal orchestras would not be a bad thing). Nezet-Seguin has a deep emotional attachment to the OM and he’s not leaving them anytime soon, especially not now that he already has a top North American orchestra. Furthermore, he’s built the OM into a world-class orchestra, touring Europe, recording for DG, etc. No reason to jump ship.
As far as I know, there is no Canadian conductor in the mix. No one of the right stature and experience.
If they are trying to replace Kent Nagano, that’s a tall order. He’s the Seiji Ozawa Ozawa wished he could be.
Hire Glen Cortese or Scott Jackson Wiley.