Exclusive: Malaysia junks its Philharmonic
NewsWe hear that the Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra told its players today that their contracts will not be renewed beyond the end of this year. A few may receive new contracts in an entertainment band, but the Philharmonic as such is finished and the musicians will be unemployed after Christmas.
We do not yet know what they have told the incoming music director, Jun Märkl, but he will have been aware of the orchestra’s unsettled history when he took the job.
The orchestra was assembled by IMG Artists for the Government oil company in the energy boom years of the late 1990s. Players were auditioned in Europe and the US and, once installed, trained Malaysians to form a future nucleus. The first decade’s music directors were Kees Bakels, Mathias Bamert and Claus Peter Flor.
In February 2012 many of the foreign principals were fired without notice. The orchestra was placed under an international musicians boycott. Fabio Mechetti and Märkl stepped in on the ruins as music directors.
Now the comedy is over.
Malaysia has just left the orchestral world.
UPDATE: Malaysian confirmation
This is unfortunate for Jun Märkl, an excellent conductor, who deserves better. It would be fascinating for SD to interview him and get the inside scoop. Malaysia is being hit hard by the virus but also has a long distrust of the West. I suspect there are other fine orchestras throughout the world who could use Jun Märkl’s exceptional skills.
Rather more unfortunate for the players, many of them having devoted a significant chunk of their lives to the orchestra. Maestro Markl will be ok.
Hu Luciano. I hear you but the orchestra members are all Malaysians, the foreigners having been previously purged. One can also say, the government will take care of them, maybe.
Most members of the MPO are not Malaysian.
Dear Fflambeau, you are simply incorrect. I was one of the victims of the purge in 2012 (no reason given). Many of my International colleagues remained.. THAT will change, for the most part, at the start of 2022..
I don’t know where have you heard about the orchestra members’ nationalities from. It’s named “Malaysian Philharmonic” but they have less than 10 Malaysians of all 71 official musicians (on the MPO website), and this is probably the most local musicians they have as official members since founding.
Well we do hope the government would take better care of it, but they probably will take care of it base on local racial status and make it a pop orchestra that attends work from Mon-Fri, 7-4, with maybe half or less of the current salary, or make the orchestra vanish…
I get it, many of us were hurt by affirmative action policies. But there is little value in parroting these dangerous and lazy stereotypes that only widen the division and antagonise us against one another. It makes the challenge far harder to solve than it already is.
Dear Nonhalal, Where are you getting your info from? I’m looking at the Malaysian Philharmonic website and most of the info there is wrong (it still lists Märkl, for instance, as the Music Director). No information at all is given there about nationalities of players (just their names). No info either about the MPO effectively being kaput. The most recent “news” is about Covid. See https://www.mpo.com.my/
Dear flambeau, Which part of the website is wrong?
They have announced Märkl’s engagement with the orchestra, which I believe it could have started already or not far future from now, so unless they renounce this engagement, I don’t see a problem with a new conductor’s name on the website?
I looked at areas I revisit most but it’s not like checking every single corner of the website, maybe you know more than me that I can’t tell any wrong informations on their website, which you can.
Which although the website doesn’t list out each member’s nationality, you might also already know that how little Malaysian musicians are in this orchestra today.
Maybe you should check the facts before making ignorant comments.
Maybe you should brush up on your manners
This had been coming for some time. From Markl’s website, the last entry (which is for Jan. 12, 2021:
“Today, Jan 12, 2021, I was supposed to travel to Malaysia to take up my post as Music Director of Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra and to conduct 5 concert weeks. Yesterday, on Monday, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin of Malaysia announced a nationwide travel ban and a 14-day lockdown in the capital Kuala Lumpur and five states, saying the healthcare system for the country of 32 million people was at a breaking point. So half a day before my departure I have to face a cancellation of my 5 weeks of concerts and activities in Malaysia. I feel very sorry for the Orchestra and I wish that the situation in the country will improve soon.”
Source: https://www.junmarkl.com/#news
It appears to me that the Malaysian government has failed not only its orchestra, and its conductor, but also its people. Nor is it a democracy in any sense of the word (the world maybe has only 2 or 3 of these and none in the USA, North America, the UK.).
I would encourage NL and SD to try to interview Markl and know more.
He’s welcome to get in touch.
Although the management is known to be a disaster, one cannot forget how Claus Peter Flor helped to ruin this orchestra. A petty, disgraceful man who always puts his ego first. I saw first hand the way he interacted with some young students and it was far worse than Zukerman.
Did Malaysia ever want an orchestra?
My understanding is that the government wanted a world-class orchestra as part of its efforts in the 1990s to make Kuala Lumpur a destination city, so the state oil company used its resources to quickly build a concert hall and assemble an orchestra.
It doesn’t sound like it was ever anything that the local people wanted.
If you took a poll of everyone in ANY city I doubt you’d ever get a majority who think they need… a symphony orchestra.
They may not have a majority, but even in relatively small cities like Cleveland and Minneapolis (under 400k people), there’s a critical mass of ticket buyers and donors supporting the orchestras that they don’t have to rely on a single, mega patron.
Minneapolis has a population larger than 400k, and is the center of a metropolitan area of 3.6 million.
Actually, the Minny metro area is huge; the second largest in the Midwest with around 4 million people. Numbers for KL are vastly inflated, as they are for most things.
The orchestra performs many great classical concerts, and is highly appreciated by classical music students and classical music lovers, which is only a minority in the Malaysian society.
The team behind did try to bring classical music into the community, but the effort could have been more, or “localized”.
But who knows if it’s the government’s various law restrictions on art which limits the outreach programs.
There is a long way for majority local people to start appreciating art, when they still believe art is a waste of society resources.
As one of the founding members I can tell that the orchestra was greatly appreciated during the first few years. More than 100 well trained and highly motivated mostly young musicians. Every week three! sold out concerts. very good programs, very good conductors, famous soloists – world class indeed. Serious music making under the baton of Kees Bakels. The CDs from this period are proof of this top level.
The decline after that came mostly from a changing top management with no cultural interest, no visions, no education. More or less corrupt corporate mafiosi..
So there have been a lot of opportunities and possibilities in the beginning but turns out missed ones after all.
What a shame. What a loss for Malaysia!
Founding member is right. We actually made no less than 13 (SA)CDs with that orchestra with very varied repertoire, Rimsky, Kalinikov, Dvorák etc and they were quite warmly received internationally. Whatever the admin – the orchestra could play!!
Robert von Bahr, BIS Records, Sweden
🙁
I hear from a good source that Pinky is available to conduct there if needed.
Daniel Barenboim seems to have done very well with the West East Divan Orchestra. Whether true or not, Malaysia was the prime example in my geography school text book (likely written in the 50’s) of a modern and thriving a “plural society”. Things have obviously been ruined since those days, but perhaps we might find our own way to make a brave political statement today – along the lines of music being a universal language to bridge the gap between people who have been played out by base politicians.
Barbarians!
So after many years of trying to do the deed, Petronas are finally getting their way and axing the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. This means that this so called civilised country will be totally without a symphony orchestra of international standard. Most countries move forward. Malaysia seems hell bent on moving backwards at an alarming rate in almost every facet. I am so disgusted, shocked and saddened. But sadly, unsurprised.
Huh? Having a symphony orchestra does not make you a “forward modern country”. And I don’t really see why they should be required to play music from a western tradition which must be rather alien to most of the people who live there. Lets be honest, classical music is rather alien to most people in the west too.
Sadly for anyone who followed the MPO saga this is not really a surprise.
Looks like this time management got rid of all the expat rank and file players. And then some.
Offers to the principals? New contracts for a smaller, more local, cheaper band probably won’t be as good as the old MPO contracts.
Wondering how many of the titled players actually will take the offer.
Wondering how the newly appointed music director will react. Definitely not useful for the reputation to be connected to such an inacceptable action.
Now during Corona it’s the worst possible moment to lose your job as musician. Internationally.
Many of the sacked musicians have families, small kids etc. What a cruel decision.
I lived in Kuala Lumpur from 2012 to 2017. I am long time classical music lover. So, I attended concerts from time to time. There were quite a number of concerts in the early afternoon for children. I often went with my daughter and a few of her friends whose parents were not concert goers. However, the local population was mainly represented by the Malaysian Chinese as audience and musicians. Obviously, the orchestra served the upper circle of the society, the expats, the small concert hall was never full.
It is simply not true that the hall was “never” full.
I can well imagine that your experience taking children to matinee performances might explain your observation. I usually attended evening performances which I expect were better subscribed.
Well done you for educating your children and others’ on the finer things in life! The MPO has been a real treat for people who care about such things.
Time to get rid of this wasting of money on some foreigners. I bet the monthly salary of the violin player from Norway is many-many times higher that the attendant in a hospital.
Mistakes have occurred since the founding of the Orchestra itself. The involvement of its membership is only seen for the benefit of them (expats) and certain groups only, come and go. Their involvement and exposure is not enough to be appreciated by society as a whole.
I also heard that although the MPO were unable to perform concerts since the pandemic began in March 2020, the musicians have all been receiving full salaries throughout this period and none have been fired…can’t say if this is true for other orchestras in the US and the UK though
Hi just to clarify the news here there is confirmed news of downsizing and players leaving but to say the orchestra is going out of business is exaggerating too much. Cheers
The MPO has been largely made up of expatriates who have been paid handsomely over the last 20 years or so. Malaysia can do without an orchestra staffed by expats. Can someone tell me how they have contributed to the music industry in Malaysia apart from the expat members enjoying a comfortable lifestyle paid by Malaysians.
Precisely. Players getting fired even after serving long years of service is not uncommon to hear in the West, in fact MPO players have had it lucky compared with many of their counterparts during the pandemic. The MPO since it’s run by an oil company it is obliged to look after it’s bottom line and certainly don’t owe expats to support their lifestyle when some of them barely did anything for the local music scene
Looking at Chong’s and Malaysian’s comments, this is the kind of people with the same kind of mentality that the MPO and Petronas have hired as management in the past. People who don’t know about the cultural, intrinsic and economic value of a world-class symphony orchestra for a city/country, and about music playing and music education of the highest standard. These musicians have trained many local musicians through MPO’s outreach programme, fyi. Also, blame petronas for making these musicians sign strict contracts which prevented them from having teaching engagements outside of the orchestra.
„Paid by Malaysians“ is an interesting choice of words. To my knowledge the MPO was / is not financed by tax money but a subsidiary of a mostly private oil company making billions of profit. No Malaysian had less to eat because of the orchestra but it enriched greatly the cultural landscape.
The answer why MPO musicians did not contribute more to the local music industry is simple. Exclusivity contracts. We have not been allowed to work outside the MPO framework. Musicians who taught or played gigs privately did so with the risk of disciplinary action and immigration knocking on the door.
I received several requests for chamber music concerts and classes in Penang and Ipoh a while ago and correctly did run it by the office. It was denied
You don’t understand the standard of a world class orchestra. Those expats graduated from a world class music university, not any music university graduate can compare.
I have been very happy, especially as a Malaysian, to be able to boast of enjoying excellent live classical music, at a reasonable price and without having to go out of the country – and I don’t mean down to Singapore! Bravo MPO and whoever thought Malaysia might gain from the expense and experience. How would you compare the cost of the MPO with the cost of say providing the gleaming fleet of expensive foreign made limousines – Rolls Royces and Bentleys etc. – to project and maintain the prestige of the country and our several royal families? Or to the cost of 1MDB?
Yes, I can easily tell you how they “contributed to the music industry” in Malaysia: they provided a cultural experience that was otherwise unavailable. Now you can go back to turning off the water in Singapore and singing nationalist songs.
Further to my recent post regarding the MPO. It now seems from a source that Petronas were told by the Malaysian Government that no further funding would be given unless they got rid of at least 40 foreigners from the MPO and replaced them with locals. Whether this is passing the buck or not who knows. However, it is clear that since the death of the MPO founding chairman, the MPO has been regarded by Petronas as a liability to the company, bleeding cash away with no prospect of turning a profit. Of course almost every professional orchestra in the world makes a loss but can be justified by the way they enrich the lives of their communities. However, since around 2010, Petronas have not seen it this way and have tried every trick in the book to find a way of dumping the MPO without taking the blame. At this point I should make clear that whilst I never actually played horn with the MPO I have been closely involved with them for many years in various ways, corporate, artistic and educational, have many friends within their ranks and had the privilege of conducting them briefly in 2019.
So in around 2010, the Board of Petronas decided to appoint a young lady lawyer with absolutely no CEO experience and no real musical knowledge as the CEO of the MPO. I have personally been told that they expected her to run it into the ground due to incompetence giving them their first chance to close it. Unfortunately for them, she did the opposite. She brought them back into the community and helped regenerate them musically and with renewed motivation. She was extremely popular and respected by MPO members. Unfortunately, that wasn’t supposed to happen so on the morning I was due to sign an MoU with her and the MPO in my capacity as Principal of Bentley Music Academy for MPO players to teach there in 2012, she was fired and the agreement terminated.
She was promptly replaced by someone who in my opinion is possibly the most unpleasant, arrogant and musically ignorant person I have ever had the misfortune to meet. She referred to the Southern hemisphere Director of Steinway as “That Piano man” and when in late 2012/2013 myself and the then Principal of Birmingham Conservatoire tried to get an appointment with her to discuss the setting up of a branch of BC in Kuala Lumpur, a truly incredible opportunity, her response was “Birmingham What? Never heard of it. Why would you want a conservatoire in Malaysia anyway and even if you do, MY musicians won’t be getting involved!” She then set about firing any expat musician who dared to exert a personality and proceeded to appoint a new music director whose conducting abilities were stunning in mediocrity but who’s venom was fined tuned to the nth degree. I still refer to him as the poison dwarf.
Although this latest tactic didn’t succeed in getting everyone to resign en masse from the MPO, it did plunge them into several years of seriously uninspiring playing and who could blame them so toxic was the environment? Play the dots; keep your head down; go home and play golf. MPO admin employees were tasked with spying on the Facebook accounts and other social media of players to try and catch them doing outside work or gigs and frankly, I stopped going to concerts.
So it went on until the board, realizing that no amount of poisonous people were going to get the job done, retired her and replaced her. At this point, things really seemed to be picking up. The new CEO seemed really keen on bringing back the spark of the orchestra. Tours started again. Brilliant conductors like Mark Wrigglesworth started appearing once more, Kees Bakels was appointed Conductor Laureate and the music came alive again. I was so happy for all of them. I started attending concerts every week once more and even writing reviews.
But now, I suppose it had to happen. I have got into serious rows with idiots who complained that there were hardly any Malaysians in the MPO and when I pointed out that due to culture and the lack of a conservatoire here, most Malaysians simply weren’t up to the standard required for an international symphony orchestra but that hopefully this would change over time, I was told “Well lower the standard then!” Sadly, this is now going to happen. The ingrained culture of “Don’t get the best person for the job, get the best indigenous person for it and if you can’t find one, just get a relative of a minister. Who cares about excellence anyway? As long as the boys get jobs!” having swept through Malaysian culture and accelerated by the election of the racist zero to hero to zero again nonagenarian has now reached music. In reaching this decision and blaming the pandemic, both the Government and Petronas have spat in the faces of 1000’s of people not just those unfortunate musicians who will lose their jobs at the end of this year. They’ve spat in the faces of every one of us who have spent years trying to help raise standards. In the faces of tutors in a certain local university who were disciplined because they refused to pass students for a BMus who couldn’t make it through grade 5. In the faces of every parent and student who has spent tens of 1,000’s in fees to attend an overseas conservatoire in the hope that this will help them make the grade to get in to the MPO and even in the faces of the 15 or so Malaysians who did get in. Worst of all they’ve spat in advance in the faces of those who MIGHT get a place in whatever incarnation takes its place and who will spend their days wondering “Was I good enough to have got into the REAL MPO?”
Every one of those people and 100’s more have and will have Government and Petronas phlegm dribbling down their chins for years into the future.
So many people now see a cultural desert in front of us in Malaysia where only tudongs and gamelans are applauded and where continuing and worsening racism and racial and religious segregation is encouraged by a government who, if they don’t like the outcome of an election, will just steal power for themselves.
I loved Malaysia. I put my heart and soul into this country and have argued vigorously in promoting it and doing whatever little I can to help raise and promote standards in the arts. I’ve now concluded it was a complete waste of time. And that hurts. To disband/axe/dumb down the only orchestra of international standard in the country when even many middle east countries have created them is an outright act of vandalism and barbarism and sadly sets the scene for the future of the arts in Malaysia. I quit.
Paul, your recounting of the MPO timeline could not be more accurate and your literary prowess is formidable.
This has been on the horizon for some time as the predecessor of the ‘pretty lawyer’ had given her clear marching instructions in 2010 which was to ‘come up with 5 year exit strategy’ for the MPO. Honestly I am surprised they survived this long.
Your description of said predecessor however was not quite harsh enough. She was the most ruthlessly evil digestive apparatus ever to come out of anyone’s womb. And the woman she appointed as the ‘pretty lawyers’ successor was far worse.
Thank you for going on record with the real truth and tragedy of this amazing orchestra that was/is full of amazing artists whose aim was only to share the majesty of the greatest music ever written with Malaysians and live peacefully.
And may those whom are responsible for this barbaric slaughter reap what they sow. And right soon.
A sad announcement.
I must say, with pride and utter sincerity as a Malaysian and as a past Friend of the LPO for many years, that the MPO has done very well artistically in representing world-class standards in classical music in this country – bringing often inspired and always satisfying concerts to its lucky audiences.
Malaysians must continue to try to lift and to treat ourselves with respect wherever possible, to recognise and to seek high and uncompromised standards – so as to better resist the ultimately self-defeating excuses of misplaced crass nationalism or the lame and vulgar excesses of political correctness.
The home of the MPO is an excellent concert hall with (excepting the Circle) superb acoustics. It would be a shame if it loses the sound of a resident MPO of such established quality.
If the MPO’s cryptic official statement today obfuscates what is happening in reality and refuses to confirm Norman’s news of the mass dismissals one way or the other, the CEO of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra chose to go one step further than the MPO themselves by dismissing this news as “unfounded rumours” on his Facebook page. He then proceeds to demonstrate to the world his attempt to play wise elder statesman, all in the hope of buying himself political capital (and social media love and attention) while spreading fake news, when it’s absolutely none of his business. You have to love his closing motherhood statements.
https://www.facebook.com/hakpeng.chng/posts/10160205513465649
Mistakes have occurred since the founding of the Orchestra itself. The involvement of its membership is only seen for the benefit of them (expats) and certain groups only, come and go. Their involvement and exposure is not enough to be appreciated by society as a whole.
Insider sources (anonymous to protect them) said Govt has informed Petronas to sack at least 40 foreigners or else no more funding. That is what they mean by “re-evaluate”
Easy fix: go to Singapore which has a first-class symphony orchestra and hall too. It’s also nearby.
Locals will hate to hear this but it’s true. Malay locals delight in turning water off to Singapore.