Pinchas Zukerman says sorry
NewsThe violinist has issued this statement through the New York Times:
‘In Friday’s masterclass, I was trying to communicate something to these two incredibly talented young musicians, but the words I used were culturally insensitive. I’m writing to the students personally to apologise. I am sorry that I made anyone uncomfortable. I cannot undo that, but I offer a sincere apology. I learned something valuable from this, and I will do better in the future.’
“Culturally unaware” (or “ignorant”) would be closer to the mark, but it’s a start.
The concept of ‘cultural insensitivity’ opens a wide perspective on application. Where are the limits? What role play facts in this? If I say that French people cannot properly pronounce English, a casual generalization based upon fact, is that culturally insensitive? If I say that English people fail at pronouncing French, is that allowed? If I say that Holland has no cultural identity (as its Argentine queen stated), is that culturally insensitive? Are Germans allowed to lack a sense of humour, as long as nobody mentions it? But what if all of this leads to lying all the time?
The stupidity of Zukerman’s remark lies in its nonsensical nature, Koreans sing as well or as badly as anybody else.
In fairness it’s been almost two whole weeks since Gihoon Kim won BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09ljf59
That was really a stunning performance.
Firstly, he was most likely referring to the violin when he said ‘sing’. Secondly, generation snowflake needs to learn some history about real ‘cultural insensitivity’ – you know, like being cut down on the beaches of Normandy by fellow Europeans. In their thousands. And I don’t remember too many complaints then or now.
The USA, having almost zero existential threat from beyond, has now started attacking itself. Didn’t see that coming!!!
If he was referring to the violin (and Koreans) when he said “sing” he is even stupider than he sounded when the reference was assumed to be voice.
Cue the Wagnerian heroine extolling the virtues of strongmen everywhere protecting “us” from the other while with the other hand enriching themselves and their sycophants. March around the room and dream of what might have been.
There is a difference between a war and teaching a class, between a “master race” and a master class.
Is it really that difficult and complicated that a teacher should treat his students with some common respect and politeness? And the same the other way around?
This has absolutely nothing to do with wokeness or snowflakes. This is about decent manners and behavior.
The news from Ottawa was that both were in very short supply.
Superb post.
Superb post, John.
Too little, too late. What he learned is that he needs to cover his behind so that he can keep the gigs and $$ flowing.
lol.. seems that Pinky was finally put in his place
The question is, will he stay there. (From his reputation, I’m guessing not — I doubt this is the first time he’s been reprimanded like this and promised to behave.)
It’s not. I related his history at the National Arts centre in the first Zukerman post. He was roundly criticised and put on a very short leash. By most accounts, he was never popular there but he did mend his ways.
Yes, he’s certainly no better than you are that’s for sure!! I’m alright, Jack!! Don’t you know who I am???
”In the course of my life, I have often had to eat my words, and I must confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet.” — Sir Winston Churchill
Bon appétit, maître Zukerman !
What’s the deal with the photo here ? Was this (with some oriental faces) deliberately part of the NYT story ?
It looks like a picture of the National Arts Center Orchestra and concertmaster Yosuke Kawasaki.
Yes-it is. Clearly used for a reason…
NYTimes didn’t use that pic
I’m happy to see this apology. These stereo-types are sometimes forcefully applied. The Vienna Philharmonic does not have any members who are fully Asian. Historically, the argument has been that they would damage the orchestra’s image of Austrian authenticity.
The orchestra has three partially Asian members with German family names, but that does not compensate for the mysterious lack of fully Asian members.
When asked, the orchestra says there has never been a fully Asian musician good enough. One is left to wonder why the Chicago Symphony, for example, has 18 Asian members. Or why the Berlin Phil has an Asian concertmaster.
It is also notable that for the last half century or more, about a quarter to a third of the student body at Vienna’s University of Music have been Asians. It would be incredible if during such a long period there were never any Asian students good enough for the Vienna Phil.
Here is an article I wrote in 1997 about the orchestra’s lack of Asian members that also provides some troubling historical context. Little has changed regarding Asians and the orchestra during the 24 years since I wrote it.
http://www.osborne-conant.org/purity.htm
Forgive me if I do not debate this topic on these pages. Anonymous comments allow for an unfortunate combination of cowardice and bigotry that is especially toxic and unworthy of one’s time.
What do you mean by ‘fully Asian’?
What do you mean, ‘you people’?
I suppose orchestras are allowed to hire the musicians whose playing style and tone the conductors prefer. They have to work with them – you all don’t.
An uncle of mine has a neighbour whose daughter has married a partly Asian, but the father did not mind since it was only the upper part.
It’s something like the glass is half full isn’t it?
Sally
Why does there HAVE to be an Asian in the VPO? Let them do what they want. Your belief that there has to be one of every sex and color in every orchestra is itself authoritarian and short-sighted. That’s like saying every painting must use all colors of the rainbow, when maybe they just want to paint in black and white. You’re probably the type who sees an orchestra on TV and remarks about how there aren’t enough POC in the orchestra, rather than paying attention to the music.
And the VPO is way above the BPO and CSO. BPO is a cultural “tool” of the Bundestag, meant to reflect Germany’s new “inclusive nature”. They have diversity mandates from the government or no Euros come their way. They are essentially German ambassadors.
I think it referred to proportions. If a large proportion of a certain race attends the local music school, then maybe a few would audition for the Vienna Phil. I would consider the artificiality if it, and that cuts both ways, of course.
People are people no matter their ethnicity. An orchestra should choose the best musicians available from the full spectrum of humankind and not restrict themselves to only certain humans. Not only is that indeed discriminatory, it is also foolish as the orchrstra ends up with a shallower pool of talent to draw from.
The Vienna Philharmonic certainly doesn’t feel under any obligation to do what YOU say, or anybody else who is a puritanical Lefty.
And please be good enough to address your allegations of anti-Asian bias to American universities which have now imposed quotas on Asian students because they show up other cohorts with their over-performing. Until that day, you won’t be taken seriously.
How many Europeans are performing in Chinese opera in China? How many are performing with the most prestigious bunraku companies in Japan?
If the answer is “none” or “not many,” is that a problem? Does it mean that all Asians are inherently racist?
Also, why aren’t you documenting these things, and what does it say about you that you aren’t?
How many Europeans have studied and auditioned to perform in Chinese opera or Japanese bunraku? Just about zero I’d assume. So there goes your argument down the toilet.
An odd comment, William. You post information that has nothing to do with the subject in hand then refuse to reply to anyone who doesn’t use a recognisable proper name moniker.
We’re aware of your website and many of us have read much of its content. This passive-aggressive approach was irritating when you were posting regularly; now it just appears rather pathetic.
The VPO doesn’t have any Asians because they don’t want them. Pure and simple. It has nothing to do with ability. No Blacks or Hispanics either.
Indeed. Asians have been good enough to conduct the Vienna Phil (Mehta, Ozawa, et al.) and good enough to engage as soloists, but apparently not good enough to be orchestra musicians. Very strange, that…
Are you enforcing/asking for some kind of Asian purity standard?
The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (like only the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra) has an image in its own country as well as in its international reputation as a “national jewel”; it is regarded as the identitary representative of its country in the world.
Whoever wants to see the Vienna Philharmonic wants to hear and see a piece of tradition, a piece of Austria, a somewhat old-fashioned sounding body covered with patina. The world is globalized enough, so this last little bastion would like to be preserved, which already began to show cracks when in 1997 it was voted by necessity to allow women in the orchestra.
Even though the Berlin Philharmonic is far more international and has a much more cosmopolitan image, it is not exactly a front-runner when it comes to the number of Asian musicians in the orchestra. A total of seven positions (out of 120 currently filled) there are occupied by musicians of Asian descent, four of whom also grew up in Asian countries. All seven are violinists or violists; not a single musician in the Berliner Philharmoniker has Chinese roots.
Nevertheless, at least the Berlin Philharmonic has already made its experiences and possibly learned that the best team is not always necessarily the one with the best individual players, but the one that harmonizes best with each other. And perhaps cultural identity also plays a role here.
The heavy reliance of German opera houses on Korean soloists and chorus members has been a known phenomenon for about the last 15 years.
http://www.anthonyogus.co.uk/korean-opera-singers/
There’s nothing more German than Korean soloists. Because Germans do understand that culture is something that can be entirely absorbed and made of one’s own. Since the West Germans absorbed Roman culture at the beginning of the Christian era, they knew how to absorb influences and integrate them comfortably.
There is another explanation which is less sympathetic, claiming that they are so ashamed of being German, that showing-off foreigners make them feel better about themselves.
But still, I go by the first explanation.
This is more interesting. German houses often welcome Korean soloists in mezzo and baritone roles – often the brother, the, friend, the aunt, the mother etc – but prefer more ‘caucasian’-looking singers as the soprano and tenor lovers. There are exceptions, but that was pretty much the reality when I was there full-time. As for the chorus, no problem. Many are stuffed with excellent voices from the 38th Parallel.
The Juilliard School also deserves to receive an apology for this headline: “Juilliard shuts down Zukerman’s ‘offensive’ masterclass”
You need to take this nonsense elsewhere. Not on my site.
Defensiveness is not really necessary. The point of a discussion is the exchange of ideas and views.
….says the man who allows any and all nonsense on this cesspool of a site.
Since all comments have to be moderator approved, how about you or whoever does the approving, you know, not approve a comment like that rather than release the hounds?
Some days I think that you must love sitting back and watching the fights.
Julliard has nothing to apologize for. Zuckerman’s comments toxic and insulting. If I spoke like to that a coworker my ass would be fired for cause in 5 minutes.
I don’t understand why you think so. The class was deemed offensive, the school removed it, the offender apologised. That’s the sequence of events as I understand it, and the latter has also been covered. Seems perfectly straight, and true — so what are we apologising for now?
I rather think that the Juilliard, itself mired in identity politics, can handle its own role in the culture wars.
All of these fine young musicians deserved to be treated with respect and dignity. The sisters who played Spohr are native New Yorkers and American!
Anyway, what kind of teacher would suggest siding around as a means of expression in Spohr?
https://www.juilliard.edu/sites/default/files/sdvoilin_students_2021_a4.pdf
The confusions result from born Westerners, culturally-speaking complete Westerners, who just happen to look a bit ‘non-Western’. It is ridiculous indeed to think that Westerners look a certain way in these days of globalization. The extreme mix of people everywhere is something to appreciate.
But it is understandable, since up till quite recently, how people look was part of cultural identity. That is no longer so.
It all stems from a deep paradox of Western society which is a universal one and no longer a local one – which creates its own problems:
https://www.euronews.com/2019/05/10/the-two-layers-of-western-society-view
Louis Spohr, for one! His Violinschule is available on IMSLP. Go read it.
He must have been living under a rock or is actually that ignorant to say Koreans are genetically incapable of singing. And all of this is quite bizarre since he shared the 1967 Leventritt with Kyung Wha Chung, a really fine Korean violinist who I’ve always preferred over him.
Let’s call it what it is: racism. He’s a racist.
People on this message board are claiming that he’s always been supportive of Asian artists. Yet, he clearly thinks that people of Asian descent lack inherent musical talent that Anglos have. You have to wonder how this has influenced his decisions over the years with who should win appointments, be awarded prizes at contests, which students to take on, etc.
And I’m sure he’s been saying these things for years, but people and organizations just turned a blind eye. It shouldn’t have taken a recording to have finally forced action on him.
C’mon, he told one Asian kid he needed to “add some soy sauce” to his playing.
“Insensitive” or downright “offensive”?
As for the Japanese not having the DNA for singing, I have but one word for him: Karaoke.
In 1890, Erik Satie told his friend Claude Debussy, then still searching for his own musical voice, that ‘we’ – the French – should look for ‘our own music’ and ‘please without Sauerkraut’. So, for the rest of his career Debussy weeded-out all Sauerkraut he had unintentionally let grow in his musical garden. But the descendants of Satie still have to apologize for the cultural insensitivity of their eminent ancestor, and they still refuse: ‘We think he was damn right’.
That’s not an apology. That’s showing that he doesn’t acknowledge or understand that his behaviour is racist.
Is it too much to expect some wisdom in these masterclasses over and above musical matters? I don’t buy the apologists who mention about older generations and archaic attitudes. I’d be inclined to pass PK over in favour of alternatives. A masterclass needs to be an enriching experience.
It’s an above-average apology, it doesn’t include the conditional “if i offended anyone” face-saving clause.
But apologies are easy to put out. It doesn’t undo the damage… he derailed what might otherwise have been a useful learning experience for the students.
On the other hand there won’t be much damage to his career. He’s not an employee that can be fired, like that trombone player a couple years ago. He’s primarily a touring artist, right?
There WAS NO DAMAGE done. If these youngsters do not know how to learn from masters they should not be in this business. It is not for snowflakes. This business is for tough and talented!
Perhaps Zukerman should have hit them over the head with a baseball bat, just to really “toughen them up”?
Apologies usually backfire these days. Domingo tried apologizing and it only landed him in more hot water.
Domingo issued a denial and also quasi-apology–“I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable.” This kind of statement puts the blame on the woman who felt offended and does not show he recognizes the wrongfulness of his behavior. It’s the same thing that Zukerman just did.
Yes, these things are tricky. For that reason I always make sure that I never hurt somebody’s feelings unintentionally.
I also try never to hurt anyone’s feelings unintentionally but it is difficult to do
People are responsible for their own feelings. Gandhi: “Nobody can hurt me without my permission. “
[Gandhi: “Nobody can hurt me without my permission.]
He gave permission often enough.
Zukerman should have refrained from his improper verbal comments, for sure. But, on the other hand, let’s not be abused by the rampant Politically Correct virus, as well …
Oh, is it too political correct to challenge his statements that “Japanese” or “Koreans cannot sing”, that’s in not “in their DNA?”
Didn’t realize DNA worked like that.
Zukerman’s “sell by” date has passed!
“He made his New York City debut in 1963. In 1967, he shared the Leventritt Prize with the Korean violinist Kyung-wha Chung.”
Make some room for others, go and enjoy retirement!
Grovel and grovel some more – to your betters, of course.
I’m asian and enjoy oriental racial jokes. what does that make me?
If white, middle class westerners tell you to be offended, you need to do as you are told.
They have this deep-seated need to feel morally superior.
If you were black you would be an uncle Tom. Asians would be uncle Yoshiros I guess.
Sad.
Lacking self-respect.
Possibly a white larper. They are well known to pretend to be other ethnicities and troll people when topics like this come up. Just look at Reddit.
Good for you Eusebius, but some other people might be hurt and upset. We all react in different ways. So we should all try to be sensitive to the fact that others may be offended.
Friends, please know that all is well.
Dearest Pinky has accepted a role with Kim Jon-un as Kappelmeister of the North Korea Philharmonic.
His assistant conductor will be Dennis “The Worm” Rodman.
Can I buy tickets online? I must go to one of those concerts!
To me, it looks like he is covering his behind.
Sometimes in life, one says things that are so outrageous and out of order that there is no forgiving them. This was one such time and it appears this artist has had many such times.
The key word in your comment is “ARTIST”!
“Sometimes in life, one says things that are so outrageous and out of order that there is no forgiving them. This was one such time”
Really, this is a gross over-reaction. Zukerman was obnoxious and boorish. But it really doesn’t mean he should be cancelled forever. You need to get a sense of perspective.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/28/arts/music/pinchas-zukerman-violinist-asians.html?surface=most-popular&fellback=false&req_id=40189343&algo=bandit-all-surfaces-uh-nclicks-alpha-01&variant=1_bandit-all-surfaces-uh-nclicks-alpha-01&pool=pool/91fcf81c-4fb0-49ff-bd57-a24647c85ea1&imp_id=585888528&action=click&module=Popular%20in%20The%20Times&pgtype=Homepage
The guys apologized, lets move on.
Granted, Charlie Rose may not be the most informed of interviewers but there’s a fair amount of nonsense spewed out here. From the 6 minute mark PK claims that composers pre 20th century didn’t earn much money . Conveniently ignoring the likes of Meyerbeer, Handel, Verdi and numerous others.
https://charlierose.com/videos/1165
There’s an undoubted charisma/ self assurance but lacking in real substance.
“I’m sorry I made [insert names here] uncomfortable” is not an apology or an admission of wrongdoing.
I liked the way John McEnroe apologized to someone. He would say “I’m sorry that he’s an idiot!”
[“I’m sorry I made [insert names here] uncomfortable” is not an apology or an admission of wrongdoing.]
Seppuku would be appropriate in the circumstances.
Everything else was not only complete bullshit, but the comment about DNA really takes the cake.
I’ve always admired the clarification by George Wallace, populist governor of Alabama and 1968 Presidential candidate:
“I’m not a racist; I’m a racialist”.
Zuckerman’s comments reflect the old prejudice that Asian performers lack the European feel for Western music and emphasize technique over musicality. Zuckerman is an extraordinarily capable musician who unfortunately has not grown and developed through the ages. This is true of his playing and his outdated mindset. And now, the arrogance of ignorance is showing as he keeps believing that his old “schtick” and attitudes are still relevant today.
Regardless of however you consider the remarks, racist or not, it is saddening to me how many people in this comment section think that this is an acceptable way to teach children or that they must “toughen up”! It is my understanding that the students are young teenagers – a truly difficult enough age as it is. One would hope their teachers would treat them with dignity and respect, if for no other reason than it can profoundly damage a child to be treated badly and potentially prevent them from pursuing a life-long love for music.
ZUCKERMAN:
I learned something valuable from this, and I will do better in the future.’