So who’s conducting your camp this summer?

So who’s conducting your camp this summer?

News

norman lebrecht

November 30, 2021

Interlochen has signed up an A-list of tutors for its World Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Jader Bignamini, Roderick Cox, Tito Muñoz and Erina Yashima join JoAnn Falletta and Artistic Director Cristian Măcelaru.

Comments

  • Anonymous says:

    A-list? Is that a joke? Congrats Interlochen, you’ve succeeded in checking the diversity box.

    • True North says:

      How so? Please explain.

      • BRUCEB says:

        “Please explain.”

        LOL. You realize they’re not even bothering with dog whistles anymore, right?

        • True North says:

          Oh, I know. A non-white face appears, doesn’t matter the context, and they lose their collective small minds.

        • Too Packed says:

          True North can’t hear dog whistles in her vacuous echo chamber any longer!!

          Entropy began with Biden’s first nappy accident.

          • True North says:

            None of that makes a lick of sense, but thanks for trying, I guess.

          • Henry Yu says:

            Girls like true north are too insecure to recognize how hilarious you pegged her.

            At least she was not legally able to vote for that mentally ill Biden from her continent.

    • MacroV says:

      So you have:

      – The music director of the Detroit Symphony, a top-10 American orchestra.
      – The music director of the Phoenix Symphony, maybe not top 10 but a fine orchestra that is presumably led by a competent conductor.
      – A Philadelphia assistant conductor;
      – A Minnesota Orchestra associate conductor.

      OK, it’s not Sir Simon, Muti, and Chailly, but a very respectable lineup to work with elite high-schoolers.

      • Ruby Yacht says:

        The Phoenix Symphony a fine orchestra? What a joke. It’s barely a grade above a community/civic orchestra. Assistant and Associate Conductors are not first-rate by any means.

        • Hot in Cleveland says:

          Pretty harsh. Are you unaware that Phoenix is an ICSOM orchestra? I wonder if you’ve ever even heard the orchestra to make such a statement?

          Also, you probably are forgetting that almost every “first-rate” conductor was once an assistant or associate somewhere. Dismissing these conductors because of their assistant positions with prestigious ensembles looks quite ignorant and petty.

  • J Barcelo says:

    Phoenix Symphony conductor Tito Munoz is a nice guy, decent conductor, but hardly A-list. If they needed a Hispanic, they would have been better off asking Tucson Symphony maestro Jose Luis Gomez. But then Munoz is a Falletta protege.

    • IC225 says:

      Unlikely that this was about quotas: in terms of diversity, “Hispanic” is not a meaningful or current term in a European context. Just another subcategory of the weird US obsession with racial difference.

      • Ruby Yacht says:

        Hispanics are not Spaniards. Spaniards are not Hispanics, unless they live in Latin America. Most Hispanics are only partly Spanish or not at all.

    • BRUCEB says:

      “If they needed a Hispanic”

      Because that’s the only reason they might have for hiring someone who is Hispanic. /eyeroll

    • Joe Exotic says:

      Munoz is actually really good, among the better conductors I’ve worked with (I play in what you call a “big five”), and I think most of my colleagues would agree. Those kids are pretty fortunate to work with him, along with the other talented conductors listed there.

  • Larry says:

    I think these young musicians are very fortunate to be able to work with an excellent group of conductors.

  • Evan Tucker says:

    Where do high school summer camps get that much money?

    • J Barcelo says:

      Interlochen is not your typical summer music camp. It’s an extraordinary gathering of top-notch youngsters and professional musicians. The concerts they give put most amateur and even semi-pro orchestras to shame.

    • Bill says:

      You should check out what the cost is, and then you’ll have some idea.

  • Fred Funk says:

    Blue Lake announced today that achievement ribbons for campers that can dress themselves will be awarded. A 5 day minimum streak is required. 3 days for the viola players.

  • DG says:

    Some interesting conductors here, but I’m sure Interlochen is desperate to put out any positive press releases with their camp in the news as a hunting ground for Epstein and Maxwell.

  • BigSir says:

    For a pre-college orchestra, this is certainly an A list of conductors. It’s a great opportunity for students to work with conductors used to facing a major symphony orchestra. Posters complaining about an A list that doesn’t include: Rattle, Muti, or Barenboim don’t understand context.

  • William says:

    A List…?

  • Tim says:

    A List? More like overrated-list

  • Ruby Yacht says:

    Their instrumental faculty is very uneven in quality.

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