#BoycottZukerman is trending online
NewsThe Korea Times reports today that offensive remarks against Asians by the US-Israeli violinist and conductor are inflaming local social media. Some commenters have alleged further Zukerman quotes, outside of his Juilliard masterclass remarks for which he has apologised.
From the Seoul article:
Following the incident, people shared online a tweet with a video containing Zukerman’s remarks against Chinese musicians. Twitter user “ninedragonspot” on July 2 cited Zukerman’s remarks to “a young violinist who has been studying in the U.S. for 10 years with 2-3 U.S. degrees including ones from Julliard.” The remark read: “You guys in China, you never use metronomes. You just go fast, fast and loud! Because if you go fast and loud, you’ll be number one! Mmmm…don’t think so.”
Asian musicians cited by Korean news agency Yonhap said that they think his controversial comments “imprison performers from Korea, China and Japan within the framework of racial stereotypes.” The musicians reportedly started a Facebook group and shared their experiences of discrimination.
Newsflash: Zukerman’s offensive remarks are not limited to Asians. Great musician but kind of a d***. He just says rude things without thinking.
No idea if it comes from a sense of entitlement, an old school Eastern European background, or simply a lack of social skills. It’s how he rolls and it’s not a specific thing against Asians.
Anyone who’s worked with him could probably start a protest, but we don’t. We just don’t invite him back.
True, he once told a Jewish violinist that his interpretation was “not kosher”
HE’S Jewish!
SO WHAT!!?? We use “kosher” casually all the time as means of saying whether something is ‘ok’ or not. your brains are rotting.
It matters to whom he says it!
If he told the Chinese student that his playing was not kosher, and told the Jewish student his playing needed soy sauce (true! he said that!), then it’s not racist, but he chooses his culinary metaphors according to the (perceived) nationality of the person.
A Chinese student may actually be an American. A Jewish student may actually be Chinese (true! there are Chinese Jews!)
In and of itself, “kosher” and “soy sauce” is not racist, but when he says the first only to Jews and the second only to the Chinese, then, yeah, it’s pretty racist.
Our Koreans and Chinese friends should #BOYCOTTMUTI along with Zukerman.
As reported by Ansa and Italian newspapers, Muti labeled Maestro Chung “The Chinaman” (“Il Cinese”), succeeding in offending both nationalities simultaneously with one botched racial slur.
As we all know, Muti is fond of slurs. However, insulting hundreds of millions of people from regions of the world where audiences are typically deferential to him and not aware of his ignorant antics appears to be especially dumb and reckless on his part.
[Muti labeled Maestro Chung “The Chinaman” (“Il Cinese”)]
Isn’t this a somewhat over-interpretative translation of a phrase that simply means “the Chinese man”? The hate is in the English.
Stop stereotyping eastern Europeans.
Zukerman is great. If you have him listening to you, listen to what he says.
So when he tells you that “your people” don’t sing, or use metronomes, or whatever, then… well, what exactly are you supposed to do with that information?
Laugh at it. He’s obviously not serious.
This is not funny. Getting roasted in a masterclass is not funny. Having potentially offensive comments said to you is not funny.
Did Zukerman make his point re what he desired from the student’s playing for a second go? Yes.
And was he an asshole about it? Also yes.
I wonder sometimes, if other people have memories attached to when they learned something, and how, and from whom. There is evidence out there that some people do:
I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.
– Khalil Gibran
Thanks, BRUCEB! I hadn’t seen that from Khalil Gibran.
You people really are something. Are you all young? I had a teacher at Juilliard who called me words I wouldn’t even write here. He was MARVELOUS! He was a genius teacher. Smoked. Drank. Was a human and character of the kind they no longer make. You Neo-puritans will scrub whats left of personality and leave us with drones – boring, low-wattage nobodies.
It wasn’t Harvey Shapiro by any chance, was it? 😉
A story.
I had a classmate in college; she couldn’t stand our teacher (we were both flute players/there was only one teacher). “She doesn’t care if we get better, she doesn’t push us, she doesn’t do anything.” She’d come from a teacher in high school who regularly told her she sounded like shit and asked her what was wrong with her.
Anyway, my experience with this teacher (the one in college) was that, in a very kind and concerned tone, she would say things like “Very good. Perhaps it would be better if you were to add some rhythmic integrity and beauty of tone. And some musical ideas would be nice. Phrasing; yes. I think that would make this much better.” If you listened to the tone, you’d think she liked it; if you heard the actual words, you’d realize you just got your ass kicked. (Nicely, but hard.)
My friend left that school and transferred to a different school whose flute teacher was known for shouting and throwing music stands. She loved him. When I heard her a couple of years later, she had made a lot of progress.
So… it takes all kinds, both students and teachers.
I can’t answer without giving myself away…but suffice it to say that, during my time at that formerly great institution, there was more than one man of that type of fascinating character and history. They are all gone, and Juilliard will never, ever recover, no matter how many diversity grifters they hire.
Also, I’m shocked anyone is surprised. This is not an isolated incident. When there’s not a lot of time and you need to make a point, sometimes it’s crass and rough. For any musicians out there in studies, always listen to the literal and then try to read between the lines.
Now I’m curious who all these people giving thumbs up and thumbs down are.
The CCP has an army of shills. They have decided to push this. If they weren’t making it trend on twitter this wouldn’t even be a story. They have noticeably been on here for a little while now, elsewhere much longer. They try to make opposing opinions to whatever they are pushing seem isolated.
It is certainly true that as a student you need to develop a thick skin. Eventually you will come into contact with an offensive teacher, conductor, colleague, etc.
It is also true that, as a teacher, you don’t have to be an asshole. Even if “blunt and honest” is your “style” (or, as some might call it, your excuse), you may eventually want people not to hate studying with you.
Or not.
China is a nation with a despotic government that crushes individuality, not a race. Yonhap’s analysis is moronic and tangential. While south Korean, they are the main source of scoops from N Korea- hard to believe you can be that these days without being in the pocket of the CCP. The CCP is absolutely petty enough to go after something like this purely because China is slighted. The CCP thinks if it is fast enough responding and loud enough shouting, that it can drown out all criticism and be number one- I don’t think so. Note the quote leaves out Taiwan, where lots of western classical musicians also come from. NL you shouldn’t help spread this bullying stuff uncritically.
This is so far beyond anything related and full of your own opinion. If you take issue with or have questions for Mr. Zukerman – regarding Chinese culture or politics or for further elaboration regarding his comments, please direct them to him. If you have questions regarding musical education in China, contact the respective conservatories and share your own findings.
Taiwan is part of China no matter how you look at it. There are no holes in this argument.
Rude.
Ha! speaking of CCP communist trash bots – Leean is here
Not according to the Taiwanese.
When is local social media not “inflamed”?
Lol. When the individuals commenting are asleep.
Awww soon liberal snowflakes will not accept any kind of criticism and blame everything on white males.
Your wish. Not mine.
Those that blame should have justified reasons. Those that are on the bandwagon should check themselves.
Soon?!! You’re 5 years too late. The youngsters are more fragile and boring than in all of Human history. The world won’t belong to these “feverish, selfish little clods of ailments and greivences, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making them happy”
This is what happens when you worship normal people and proclaim them “geniuses”. Really gets to their heads!
How on earth anyone who reads about the atrocities being perpetrated by the current Chinese government can be bothered to be offended by a few words from a violinist beats me. People must have their heads up their rears.
The communist never takes a break. They are devout. They will destroy anything and all things. Look at the USA for an example. It is a war on all fronts – Gender, Marriage, History, Religion. The Communist will never stop.
And they are out to sap and impurity all of our precious bodily fluids!
Hey Norman-take a look. Lowlife communists read your blog, and they disapprove of me.
I’m sure he thought he was being very clever.
I’ve encountered older teachers who have begun to see themselves as a “Professor Kingsfield”, an oracle dispensing rare wisdom.
I am also reminded of Jerry Seinfeld’s observation… “All men think they are funny.”
He should run for political office. Blackface pictures didn’t seem to hurt Trudeau at all. Why should this controversy hurt PZ?
Blackface only hurts non-Leftists. If you are a communist scumbag, like Trudeau, or democrat (communist) Virginia Governor, you’ll be just fine. Them’s the rules.
Who relates?
Berlin Operas Are Feuding, With Anti-Semitic Overtones
By Roger Cohen
• Oct. 21, 2000
Berlin’s opera world is often turbulent, riven by East-West rivalries of cold-war intensity. But apparently anti-Semitic comments about Daniel Barenboim, the artistic director of the Staatsoper, have created a storm unusual even by the standards of this city.
Mr. Barenboim, 57, who has been at the former East Berlin’s magnificent Staatsoper for the past eight years, is involved in a tense struggle with the city authorities that provide much of his financing over plans to cut costs by merging his house with the far less venerable Deutsche Oper in the West.
The battle pits Mr. Barenboim, who is also the music director of the Chicago Symphony and a dark horse candidate to succeed Kurt Masur at the New York Philharmonic, against many people. Not the least of them is the rising star of German music, Christian Thielemann, the 41-year-old musical director of the Deutsche Oper, whose acclaimed debut at Bayreuth this year with ”Die Meistersinger” has reinforced his standing.
Enter Klaus Landowsky, a leading Berlin politician from the Christian Democratic party, to sum up the situation in these terms to the Berliner Morgenpost: ”On the one hand, you have the young von Karajan in Thielemann, on the other you have the Jew Barenboim.”
Uproar. Mr. Barenboim said that within hours of the statement’s appearance on Thursday in the Berlin daily, the Christian Democratic mayor of Berlin, Eberhard Diepgen, had called to reassure him that Mr. Landowsky’s statement was in fact meant as a compliment underscoring the cultural diversity of the ”new Berlin.”
That did not wash. Mr. Barenboim issued a statement saying that he was ”astonished” to discover that ”my Jewishness could have anything to do with my position at the Staatsoper or with my music.” Whether Mr. Landowsky’s comment was meant as a compliment or an insult, he added, ”It frightens me equally.”
well, barenboim wasn’t above responding to the rejection of various financial demands on the Berlin Senate with the sentence “I can already see that you still can’t work in Germany as a Jew”….
And yet, once again Jews arise and thrive in Germany…lest we forget the other opera house run by Bari Kosky. I have very mixed feelings about this and can only hope for the best….
Surprised with their overbearing helicopter parents that Asians don’t have a tougher skin. I guess EVERYONE is woke these days.
Yuck. What an ignorant, bigoted comment.
I’ve been boycotting Zukerman concerts for years. Not because he’s an A-hole, but because I find his playing boring as hell.
isn’t the violinist in the picture (chooi) also racist? I heard that he is (not towards asians obviously but towards other races).
I heard, from multiple sources, that you were a pedophile. When will you stop abusing children?
Sicko.
Who is a pedophile?
Aren’t you a murderer? Not towards your loved ones, but towards others. Dumbo
I am not Asian, but I understand their anger. I’ve worked with Zukerman and I agree with others that he’s not well thought out. However, he’s not alone in his anti-Asian bias. It’s high time the music world had this discussion. Zukerman’s most recent comments brought something to the forefront that needs to be acknowledged and addressed.
One issue is that Zukerman’s apology after the master class seems to miss the point. He says he’s sorry that he made anyone uncomfortable, but he never says his sweeping generalizations were wrong or inaccurate. His statements were more than “culturally insensitive.” They were demonstrably false. But I don’t think he sees it that way. To me, his apology amounts to little more than damage control, which is quite different from honest reflection and subsequent modification of one’s views.
In college, my teacher made overtly racist blanket statements about Asian players. The teacher-student dynamic left no room to challenge his assertions. He never succeeded in passing his prejudices on to me, but his negative opinion did enormous harm to friends and colleagues. This is a fact, and not an isolated one.
Human beings have always been tribal; we try to make ourselves out to be better than other tribes. While I reject it, I can understand the appeal. If fate of birth has made you lucky enough to be in the club of the super special musicians, it’s validating. People in the exclusive club can say, “Yeah, Asians may be talented, work hard and win lots of jobs, but they don’t REALLY get it.” As if there’s something audible, but unteachable and unlearnable that sets Caucasians or Europeans apart from people of Asian descent. Ridiculous, right?
It might feel good to think you’re a member of that special club, until you realize that special club commits injustices towards people you know and respect. There’s no divine mandate that makes one musician better than another.
Happy? Birthday Pinky?
https://www.facebook.com/medicitv/videos/638163280496829
As an afterthought, institutions who exploit the Zuckerman name are to blame for racist incidents. Knowing his tendency to use insulting racist slurs, Pinky should not and never should be hired to give masterclasses, whose primary function it is to guide, and nurture. Furthermore, anyone who thinks formal masterclasses make masters deserve what they get.