Breaking: Trouble for Ivan Fischer as his orchestra chief quits
mainMartin Hoffmann resigned today as managing director of the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Hoffmannn, who enjoyed an amicable partnership with Simon Rattle at the Berlin Philharmonic, joined Ivan Fischer with a brief to tighten up finances at the somewhat ad hoc Budapest outfit.
He has lasted less than a year in the job.
UPDATE: A press release blames the Hungarian Government for cutbacks.
2nd UPDATE: In light of the budget cuts, we understand that Martin Hoffmann will stay connected to the BFO in a new capacity as International President.
The budget cuts at the orchestra are a serous problem. But it might have been unwise for Ivan Fischer to use his position as a mouthpiece to publicly criticize the Hungarian government while simultaneously demanding an increased subsidy.