Symphony New Brunswick in Canada has named Mélanie Léonard of Montréal as its next music director. She last conducted them three years ago.
Ms Léonard is presently music director of the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra. She seems keen on hilding several batons.
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What a poser! I have no idea how she conducts, but that photo—how is she to be taken seriously?
Imagine a flyer advertising a Bruckner program with Herbert Blomstedt, with the conductor in that kind of pose.
I’m curious about why she needs so many different TYPES of baton. Do different composers call for different types? Also, why do they need to be warmed up that way? When I’m air-conducting at home, I use just the one and feel no need to warm it up at all.
She has quite an interesting collection of photos on her website. We wish her well.
It is better than watching a grey haired old man over
80 conducting.
Agreed about watching.
Who do you prefer to listen to?
the old man gives a better
performance
I can’t believe this was published. A sex joke about a woman in a traditionally male position, in 2021.
Newsflash: Taking women seriously only when they present in a traditional, ie male way is misogynistic. It’s ok to look pretty and graceful and also be in a position of power. Wake up.
By the way, she is a former ballet dancer, so I think this photo is intended to show that side of her. Not everything is about your dick, Mr. Lebrecht.
A perfect example of how a woman can’t win in this industry, and how low some men will stoop to try to enforce it.
Truly unbelievable. Shame on you.
Susan Elizabeth Brown:
Since I made the observation that so offended you (not Norman), I feel compelled to respond.
As a woman in the music business, I take exception to your comment that the photo depicts her as pretty and graceful in her position of power. Elegance is one thing, but this is photo shows her doing something completely unnatural for any conductor. She is actually making it more difficult for other women.
It’s just a publicity photo. What’s the big deal?
It would be better if she was blonde
https://ne-np.facebook.com/Bioscalin/posts/1381188722222029/
And I thought SINGERS who become conductors were bad…
Exactly. I haven’t seen her bio, but the idea of a ballet dancer becoming a conductor…hmm. Do the people who play in the orchestra mind that they’ve been honing their craft since early childhood, but their leader—the big star—,is one who specialized in a different art form? Even if she was able to stay with the beat as a dancer and perhaps enjoyed music her whole life does not make her a conductor. Can she play any instrument with any kind of proficiency? Can she read a score?
Someone, please correct me if I’m wrong about her training. I don’t know how she conducts, but I know incompetence abounds in that field, and that’s with conductors who’ve been through the paces. Musicians in an orchestra need more than someone who thinks it’s just about their choreography on the podium.
Maybe you should read her CV before you comment? She has three music degrees, in theory and conducting. She can probably read a score better than any instrumentalist turned conductor.
Fair enough, she has a few degrees. Still, it’s hard to imagine taking instruction from someone who took up music in college. If you’re a tuba player, you may see this differently. String players have to be very advanced before they even audition for college. And she will likely be trying to convey things to instrumentalists without having played chamber music with any instrument. I wish her well. She has a tough road ahead.