Another British manager falls in America
mainA week after Simon Woods stepped down as chief exec of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Paul Meecham has announced he is leaving the Utah Symphony next week – apparently because he’s music director is leaving and he can’t face another search process.
Paul was previously chief at Baltimore and Seattle. Before that, in a 40-year career, he ran the Liverpool Phil and the London Sinfonietta.
Paul said: ‘I have enjoyed immensely my time with USUO, with its unique blend of Symphony, Opera and the Deer Valley® Music Festival. In making this decision, it is definitely a bitter-sweet moment. However, after a very fulfilling career in the orchestra field spanning almost 40 years, I would like to explore new avenues. And with Thierry Fischer’s recent announcement that he would be stepping down as music director at the end of the 2021-22 season, my decision will allow the next president & CEO the opportunity to see through the search process and the appointment of his successor.’
Other available UK managers in the US include Minnesota’s Tony Woodcock and Michael Henson.
Less available are two past managers of the Orpheus Ensemble: Graham Parker who is now head of Uinversal Classics in the US and Dr Krishna Thiagarajan, president of the Seattle Symphony.
*his
The difficulty of the position of chief executive is that it is a management job, but in the same time has to be combined with a thorough knowledge and understanding of both the repertoire, and the predicaments of conductors and players, and on top of that, an analytical understanding of the problems which the art form has to deal with in relation to modern society. In the reality of life, it is mostly the case that one or a couple of these requirements are found wanting.
Not lacking in Paul’s case, I can assure you.
I hope everyone will appreciate the humor of announcing Michael Henson’s availability.
I read that (the “UK managers in the US” part) and thought, “Hasn’t he been sent home yet?” There’s one for the Trump Administration to deport.
Mentioning Tony Woodcock is no less humorous.
Paul works like a demon.
Excuse me, but there is a vast difference between “walking away on good terms” and “falling.”
Wouldn’t you agree?
Not if you know the back story…
Hm. Not wanting to do a music director search seems an odd reason to quit on such short notice. (His departure is effective next Tuesday.)
Another over-dramatic headline.
‘Falls’ gives quite the wrong impression
==Not if you know the back story…
C’mon John. You can fill us in