Something stirs at AskonasHolt
mainFor the past six months of lockdown, London’s largest classical agency has vanished into a bunker, issuing barely a peep.
We understand that a quarter of the staff have been shed – 24% to be precise – not all of them consensually. Others are working a 4-day week while the lavish offices stand empty.
However, today there are signs of life.
We hear that AH have signed a co-production deal with the Met for its filmed recitals, starting tomorrow with Joyce DiDonato. The costs are high but the credit’s worth something.
There are also new signings on the cards, the first of whom is the fast-rising French soprano Elsa Dreisig, who stole the show as Fiordiligi this summer in Salzburg’s Cosi fan tutte.
wait, why would the Met want askonas to sign on as a co-producer? it makes zero sense, since, by all accounts, the Met is at the very least breaking even on its own and doesn’t exactly need Askonas for the remainder of its programs, especially since Askonas doesn’t represent any artists on this series after DiDonato. Askonas meanwhile can be happy to receive commissions for DiDonato and probably Pomo d’oro’s fees.
Does the Met normally produce content like this? Does Askonas Holt do more than artist management? Oh… BINGO.