Dallas job for Pinchas Zukerman
OrchestrasThe Dallas Symphony has created a job for Pinchas Zukerman.
Zukerman, 72, is to be Artistic & Principal Education Partner for two seasons, starting in September.
Apparently it’s to do with scaling down the orchestra to chamber size during the remainder of Covid.
From the PR:
Zukerman will play-direct chamber orchestra concerts with the DSO, appear as violin soloist with the orchestra and collaborate with DSO musicians in chamber music performances during the two-year term. He will also lead, as an important component of this appointment, intensive chamber-music coaching and instrument tutoring sessions in partnership with Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts. “I am thrilled to continue the DSO’s relationship with Pinchas with this new role,” said Kim Noltemy, President & CEO. “Each of these activities will focus on an element of his incredible career and share his wisdom and talent with a new generation of performers.”
Them that have, gets.
The ennui…
Persistent rumours in the boxing world say that what tipped the scales for Tyson Fury’s victory over Deontay Wilder was a secret session Fury had with Pinchas Zukarmann wherein Zukermann taught Fury how to breathe.
I kid you not.
The man is a universal genius who deserves all the ass-kissing he gets.
I totally believe that story!! 🙂
I’m curious about how you heard about it.
Amazing coup for DSO and for SMU. Lot of stuff going on there. Good for them.
PZ is a great educator. Those masterclasses on YT show this. Can only be good.
Actually, it has nothing to do with scaling down due to Covid. We have been the only American orchestra to have continued performing for a live audience throughout the pandemic, are performing Mahler 1 with members of the MET Orchestra next week (all of us will be tested prior to and during the week) and plan to return to normal operations in September. This is simply an artistic collaboration between Pinky and the DSO with a large educational component including students from SMU. It should be a lot of fun!
Good move, Dallas – Pinky is great!
Having seen multiple PZ master classes live, I find him frequently disdainful and insulting to those he is meant to be instructing. I’ve known more than one student who refused the “honor” of playing for him in an MC situation and at least one professional piano collaborator who refused a PZ master class gig.
I have refused for years to attend his concerts finding the playing dull and stilted.
To each his own……
how DOES Zukerman sleep at night knowing you have taken this principled stance. You are so brave <>
Do I care?
Perhaps he discusses the situation with his analyst. He did talk about his analysis sessions in at least one MC I attended. I don’t think the audience was impressed or enlightened.
You refuse to listen to him but find his playing dull and stilted- quite a feat!
I suspect they will be entertaining a new cellist…
Pinchas Zukerman has had a long association with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; even when he was the Milwaukee Symphony’s artist in residence he had a similar situation in Dallas – something more involved than just being on the guest conductor circuit, and I think it is much to his credit as a serious musician to want that.
While not everything he has done as conductor or as violinist has been entirely to my taste (something that I can say of every conductor and every violinist), when he’s “on” he really is a tremendous talent. I particularly recall the Milwaukee Symphony concert where in addition to conducting, he played a Bach violin concerto and the Bartók Viola Concerto. I’ve heard a lot of great viola players (and the Milwaukee Symphony itself has had some fine ones as principals and section members) but that was a viola tone to last a lifetime.
I suppose the highlight of my “career” as a staffer for Fanfare Magazine was my interview with Pinchas Zukerman, which named names and I do believe was the first appearance of the “F-bomb” (the real word) in print in Fanfare. Suddenly I was getting invites to events at the Russian Tea Room (none of which I was able to accept due to my “real” job’s demands), cautiously worded fan letters from some of the NYC music agencies, and nearly every violinist I interviewed after that began the call with “wait … YOU’RE the guy that Pinky unloaded on??” It did cause some tensions with other Fanfare staffers.
I could well understand how PZ could be a very demanding and rather abrupt violin teacher. But I have also known violinists who really have no business going to some of the violin master classes they do. They’re looking for a miracle worker I guess, but meanwhile the students who really can benefit from time with “the master” are sitting through the excruciating efforts of those who cannot. It is not given to everyone to be kind in that scenario.
That was a great interview, David, and it immediately raised my opinion of Pinchas Zukerman as a thoughtful musician.
But how did it cause tensions with other Fanfare staffers? I’m dying to know….
I agree that not all MC participants in all instances are the best players in the room. The MC host or promoter is ultimately responsible for approving players. If that selection process has not brought the “best” or “quickest” students to the stage, a gracious, well abled master teacher will work productively with what is presented. Ridiculing a student’s difficulties to promote yourself is never acceptable.