Four great orchestras are in hot pursuit of a music director

Four great orchestras are in hot pursuit of a music director

News

norman lebrecht

March 20, 2022

The competition is suddenly fierce.

The New York Philharmonic needs to replace Jaap van Zweden. Frontrunners from the current audition season are Gustavo Dudamel, Susanna Mälkki and the deceptively young-looking Finn, Santtu-Matias Rouvali (pic). Expect further challenge from a third Finn, Klaus Mäkelä. And don’t overlook a change of mind by a fourth, Esa-Pekka Salonen.

One early management favourite, the Lithuanian Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, has ruled herself out while she raises a young family.

The Munich Philharmonic, shorn of Valery Gergiev, needs urgently to make an appointment. Frontrunners are the Austrian Manfred Honeck, the part-time Englishman Daniel Harding and the Italian Daniele Gatti.

The Chicago Symphony has been somewhat desultory in seeking a successor to Riccardo Muti, who may yet renew for another term. Names presently in the frame are Marin Alsop and Manfred Honeck. Nobody has yet made a convincing case.

The Concertgebouw has got precisely nowhere since it fired Gatti. Amsterdam seems to have forgotten how to appoint a chief. At this rate, they are likely to lose out and come last.

Also in the market is the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, where Antonio Pappano is moving to the LSO. Parties have formed behind certain estimable British conductors but no compelling candidate has yet presented.

Comments

  • Frank says:

    I have seen / heard two concerts by Rouvali in Amsterdam, and enjoyed these a lot. Kid’s got a mouthwatering stick technique (seen from the audience, that is). But then of course, he is a former drummer… There’s no telling what the RCO thinks of Rouvali; also, they may just like it this way, for the time being. In Vienna they do just fine without a resident chief conductor.

    • Fenway says:

      From a current percussionist, given the chance I would take my great stick technique and share it with you Frank

    • Concertgebouw79 says:

      Rouvali will be perfect for the RCO but…in 2035.Same thing for Mäkelä. Personaly I prefer Rouvali I have seen them both in concert. The both had started with the RCO at the same moment and they are coming back frequently.

    • Anonymous says:

      You call it stick technique, I call it clueless floppy flapping. To each their own!

      • Liam Allan-Dalgleish says:

        If you’re bothered by the his/her thing ( that’s as far as I, personally, am willing to go with the precious nuance of pronouns. If it bothers you, how about: “To each one’s own?”

    • Petros Linardos says:

      While the Vienna Philharmonic may be of a similar calibre as the Concertgebouw, it operates very differently. For instance, it’s nightly service at the Vienna State Opera as the pit orchestra also serves as a testing ground for future members.

  • Concertgebouw79 says:

    One more time a great orchestra can work very well without a musical director. Isn’t the history of the Winer? I don’t think that the RCO went nowhere after the departure of Gatti. I’am not sure Norman that you have seen the orchestra in concert during the last 4 years. And we all know that Ivan Fischer is the real musical director. Concerning Rouvali, let him work in Goteborg he has a lot of things to do in Sweden with one of the most underated orchestra of the world.I went in Goteborg last year I want him to be here and to make records.

    • jouko900 says:

      I really wonder what’s going on in RCO. They have invited Klaus Mäkelä a total of five times since his debut in September 2020 (including a tour to Reykjavik and Hamburg) and now they are selling tickets again to a concert on 19 August. 2022 (“Leningrad Symphony”)

      • Concertgebouw79 says:

        There’s no doubts that the orchestra has a crush on him but he’s young. For the moment they can call huim frenquently to do concerts but they do the same thing with other coductors. Now he’s in the group of the usual conductirs af the RCO like Fisher or Chung. the ones who work every year withe the RCO

        • Monsoon says:

          So what if he’s young? Plenty of conductors in their mid-20s have landed major appointments, including Bernard Haitink.

    • waw says:

      Like real estate, the longer an orchestra directorship remains open on the market, the more people wonder “what’s wrong with the house”?

      That the RCO was made vacant so publicly humiliating for everyone involved, and that it remains vacant for so long without an explanation, the top candidates, the elite few who truly have options, are shopping elsewhere.

  • Kman says:

    Has Makela conducted the NY Phil yet? He will, however, be conducting two others on this list in coming weeks: Chicago and Munich.

    • Concertgebouw79 says:

      He has contracts with Oslo and Paris. I don’t know why the international press never talk abut what he does in Paris.

  • Fenway says:

    Young Klaus should get the nyp gig, but I doubt the management has the guts to go for a true artist over a superficial marketing tool. Maybe they will be visionary and put a diversity based hack in front of the band.

  • Eyal Braun says:

    I think Staadskapelle Dresden is also looking for a musical director as Theilemann is leaving in 2024

  • Frank says:

    Indeed, in many ways Ivan Fischer may well be the conductor the RCO performs at their consistent best with these days. But that’s also because, with Fischer, they play the material they are most comfortable with, which was the trap they got in with Mariss Jansons, bless his soul.

    BTW ‘musical director’ is a real job title in Amsterdam and it’s held by Ulrike Niehoff since 1/1/21. She’s the one who makes sure that comfort trap is not fully embraced again, by inviting guest conductors who bring slightly unfamiliar works. Like those Sibelius symphonies Rouvali conducted.

  • The Chicago Governor says:

    Would Chicago renew the term of Muti, a man who proudly lists a Russian award received by Putin on his own biography, on his official website, even now?

    Click here if you don’t believe me a do a search for Putin

    https://www.riccardomuti.com/en/biografia/

    • Fenway says:

      Dear Governor. Is it true that Lori Lightfoot has the “biggest di.. in Chicago”? Inquiring minds want to know….
      She had that recent picture with Muti where they were all smiles. I wonder if he knows…
      BTW, David Herbert is the best timpanist in the USA. Ray Curfs is the best timpanist on the planet.

      • The Chicago Governor says:

        I am afraid the Mayor exaggerated a bit on that front. But it is definitely bigger than M***’s. No question :-DD

      • Greg Bottini says:

        That the San Francisco Symphony let David Herbert be hired away by the CSO is to its eternal shame.
        I have never ever heard better timpani playing than David’s, live or on record.
        This is no knock on the SFS’ current timpanist, honest – but David Herbert is a once-in-a-lifetime player.

      • Pauker says:

        Humm…

    • CSOA Insider says:

      Bloody tanks or not, it is Pulcinella’s secret that Muti has always been boasting about the honor he received from Putin, and about the fact that he met the Russian dictator.

      The CSO has put the Putin honor in print, for everyone to admire, year after year on the program booklet, as recently as the very last Muti concert in Chicago on March – that is, after the war started, and after Muti’s sanctimonious ranting speech. The CSO program booklet on Sunday February 27, 2022, the most recent Muti’s concert, printed: “Queen Elizabeth II bestowed on him the title of honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded him the Order of Friendship, and Pope Benedict XVI made him a Knight of the Grand Cross First Class of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great – the highest papal honor”

      Muti’s biography until now looked exactly like page 36 of this booklet:

      https://issuu.com/chicagosymphony/docs/programbook_muti_cavalleria_rusticana

      Muti’s gang has now caught this and removed the Putin references from the CSO website. I predict that the Putin reference on Muti’s own official website will be removed by tomorrow. The Italian Muti’s gang who manages the website is more amateurish than the CSO side, and they still have not caught the embarrassing problem. They will act by tomorrow as they have been reading SD very closely, worried about what it has been transpiring (and will continue to transpire).

      Muti has also received at the end of 2021 another Russian award, from the Russian Academy of the Arts, an organization tightly associated with Putin. He has not refused the award as the man, unlike Toscanini, is more attached to these “honors” than a leech to fresh blood.

      • MB says:

        Well, even Her Majesty can err. Though if I was her, I’d be not only concerned about having knighted someone who couldn’t be less of a knight (I mean, seriously, if there is such a thing as the embodiment of anti-knight conduct, it’s Muti); but also about being listed right next to the new Hitler and …

        well I’ll hold my tongue this time.

      • steve says:

        wow how much free time do you have to have to compare exact wordings of artist bios??? how pathetic LMAO

    • Alan says:

      Did you miss the bit where he laid into Putin live on stage two nights running?

      I suspect he doesn’t even know that’s stil on his website. It is one line in a very long biography. And I’m sure if he knew about it he’s have it removed.

      People like him don’t operate their own websites.

      But don’t let that stop you.

      • Lothario Hunter says:

        Oh yes, Muti hasn’t time to operate websites! He’s way to busy with his tropical expeditions. And in between, he has recently been running other “special operations” in Chicago. Though … from a very first hand source, we heard he didn’t have any “ammunition” and at the moment of truth … he was outGUNNed ;-)))

      • Chicagorat says:

        Two nights running! Wow the guts of this man …

        Not enough guts to return his Putin Russian honors though. Shouldn’t we think that returning the honors received by Putin would speak louder than a fake speech? I would think so.

    • BigSir says:

      He’s too old to be taken in by the cancel culture mentality.

  • Lothario Hunter says:

    Oh yes, yes! For Muti, another term of tropical forest bliss, financed by Jeff Alexander and Northern Trust!

    • Midwestern Violin says:

      And what about Cathy and Bill O.? Did they inform La Signora of the tropical explorations? And that NT is paying for them, with the oversight of Jeff?

      What a cluster. What does Cathy think? is she telling La Signora that it’s all for “culture” and “peace”?

      • steve says:

        why don’t you ask cathy and bill themselves? they come to concerts, so i’m sure you could easily walk up to them and ask!! better yet, why don’t you just tell La Signora herself? oh wait…there’s nothing to tell LMAO

    • steve says:

      i’d love to see you get shipped off to a tropical forest, far far away so we wouldn’t have to read any of your ridiculous nonsense anymore! LMAO

  • James Weiss says:

    I’ll take Vasily Petrenko, thank you.

    • James says:

      Me too! But why would he want to enter the musical/political maelstrom here? What about another Vassily …. Sinaise? I heard him conduct an incandescent Daphnis and Chloe with the Seattle Symphony! Even after his stint with the BBC Philharmonic, he remains relatively unknown. And he released a moving condemnation of the Ukraine outrage.

  • Mime says:

    And don’t forget:
    *Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Rome, where Pappano is ending his tenure 2024.
    *Dresden Staatskapelle, where politicians will not renew Thielemann after 2024.
    *La Scala, where Meyer and Chailly end 2025.

  • Derek H says:

    As mentioned by Concertgebouw79, Klaus Makela is Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of Oslo Philharmonic and Music Director of Orchestre de Paris (5 year contract from 2021) and both are excellent orchestras.

    He is only 26 years old, so he would be wise to stay with those positions for some time.

    I believe that he is exceptional, but it is too early to consider the major U.S. orchestras or the Concertgebouw, at present.

    • fen says:

      Lenny was 25 when he first conducted the NY Phil. Different era, of course and not planned, but the start of something big….I think Makela is ready to join the major leagues(if you can call NYP a major league orchestra).

      • Concertgebouw79 says:

        I’am not american and I don’t know if the NY Phil is at the top now like it was the case in the 60’s and for Chicago in the 80’s. From Europe I have the impression that Boston, LA and Cleaveland were more at the top during the last 10 years. But I’am not sure even if I have seen LA and Boston in concerts. I was more impressed by Boston. And during the last 15 years I’am not sure that the NY Phil did a lot of tour in Europe like Boston and the LA Phil. Concerning Makela he will not be the next NY Phil musical director next year.

        • MWnyc says:

          Don’t forget about the Philadelphia Orchestra, which is playing wonderfully for Yannick, the Eschenbach years now long past.

  • waw says:

    Don’t count Dudamel out for New York.

    Now, why would he leave LA Phil, where he gets everything he wants, and which is far more wealthy than NY Phil?

    Because he lives in Spain, heads Paris Opera, and a base in NY would be a far easier commute to manage his career to deepen his involvement in Vienna and Berlin.

    Yes, the NY Phil has been a side show for the last few decades even in the US, but don’t count Borda out either for her ability to entice Dudamel, to convince the Board to come up with a package that could make sense for Dudamel. And there is that refurbished hall.

    • Ronviola says:

      Since when does Dudamel live in Spain?

    • Sisko24 says:

      Let’s wait a bit to hear the refurbished hall before that gets counted in as an enticement for a music director to come to the NY Phil. I still have doubts about the ‘new’ hall. I hope I’m wrong, but I wasn’t wrong about the ‘cleaning up’ when Carnegie Hall was redone. It’s acoustics are not nearly as great as they were when it was ‘dingy’. Here’s hoping that Geffen Hall turns out to be more than what it was before.

    • MacroV says:

      Thanks to the Polar Route, LA-Paris probably isn’t that much longer a flight than NY-Paris. Maybe leave LA when he figures he’s been there long enough and it’s time for a change for everyone. He’s already in year 13 (?), so that might come soon. But if he’s ready to change, then why not the CSO? The the new Geffen Hall is looking pretty cool.

  • Mock Mahler says:

    Based on a couple of recently streamed concerts, for RCO Fabio Luisi should be a serious contender.

  • Tamino says:

    Cute how NL always emphasizes the nationality of conductors. As if it mattered.

    • Taka Gander says:

      It matters when the USA has a plethora of conductors who can’t get jobs because we keep hiring foreigners, as if they are any better. And if we don’t give our own conductors jobs, we can’t improve our training programs.

      • Monsoon says:

        LOL.

        For a website where people often decry affirmative action hiring, now you want affirmative action for American conductors.

        And the fact is, Americans hold plenty of conducting posts in the U.S.:

        The NYP just had two American music directors.

        MTT just ended a 25 year run of San Francisco.

        Levine was the MD of the Met for 40 years.

        Alsop just ended a 14 year run at Baltimore.

        Spano just ended a 20 year run in Atlanta.

        David Robertson recently ended a 13 year run in St. Louis.

        Watch out for Robert Trevino. He mainly conducts in Europe, but someone in the states is going to scoop him up sooner or later.

  • Barry says:

    I’ve felt for a fairly long time that Honeck would be the ideal replacement for Muti in Chicago, but the fact that he hasn’t gotten the job yet leads me to believe they aren’t interested in him.

  • freddynyc says:

    The brilliant young Makela needs to avoid the NYP at all costs…..

  • fen says:

    I wish there were conductors like this. Genius ending to Shostakovich 4. I was blessed to play Shostakovich 1 with him.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTU_KMyy_es

    • Jobim75 says:

      One of the best conducting technique I ever saw, I cannot listen to the 4th anymore. since I have seen him conduct. A true master, didn’t like to rehearse though. What if he did?…..

  • AFTGould says:

    A loud part of the public is demanding a woman, so I am pretty sure that instead of searching for the best candidate, the NY Philharmonic will search for the best candidate with the right set of genitalia.

    • El Cid says:

      Rather sad that Munich, birthplace of the Nazi Party, fired Gergiev, in solidarity with the Nazis in Ukraine. Old alliances endure. Gergiev has shown dignity and patriotism and love for his people. Admiration for his character.

    • Taka Gander says:

      Well, maybe Leonard Slatkin could pull a switcheroo and apply as Leona Slatkin.

    • Fenway says:

      Like I said, diversity and inclusion. I like that Marin alsop champions contemporary music, but she ain’t the answer.

    • NYMike says:

      In that case, NYer Karina Canellakis. She’s very good.

  • Simon Funnell says:

    On the basis of Peter Grimes this week, my vote would be Sir Mark Elder.

  • VBMaestra says:

    Vanessa Benelli Mosell is on the rise as a great conductor. She will be Music Director of one of these great orchestras.

  • Taka Gander says:

    None of these are good choices, and not for this orchestra, and we have plenty of our own native conductors who need this position and are over-qualified. That they would even consider Mirga is appalling. Maybe this is just a PR list to cover up who they are really looking at. They should hire James Conlon. Finally.

    • MacroV says:

      I very much like James Conlon and am enjoying his stint as music advisor in Baltimore. (Watching the ease and mastery with which he conducted excerpts from Die Walkure a few weeks ago was a thing of wonder). He’s now about 70, and I could see that he might not want a full-time MD job anymore.

    • Petros Linardos says:

      We don’t know whether they considered Mirga.

  • Player says:

    Think the die is already cast for Daniele Rustioni at Covent Garden.

    And with Pappano at the LSO, we shall have more mainstream stuff, more opera in concert and overall, less plinkety-plonk.

  • Tamino says:

    Isn’t everybody kind of looking for the next chief conductor these days? It seems the demand is higher than the supply, well educated, highly talented, and well fed ensembles want the good authority and “Überconductor” on the podium, but the few able are spreading themselves thin between two or three chief conductor posts (how ridiculous is that actually) and generally there are not enough of them.
    How come?
    Is there a structural problem in the business (agencies?) or is there a lack of tenacious talent?

  • No Comment says:

    JvZ to Concertgebouw post NYP? Rustioni to CG? Gatti to MP? NYP anyone’s guess, but maybe The Dude to NY and Mälkki to LA Phil?

    • Barry says:

      It’s hard to believe that the MP would hire someone with Gatti’s baggage after dismissing Gergiev for the reason he was let go.

  • Un-classical says:

    It is confirmed by RCO members and regular guests from the orchestra that Klaus Makela is going to take RCO chief position from 2027. It will be announced in 2023 or before christmas 2022.

  • David K. Nelson says:

    I remember – somewhat vaguely — when New York and Boston were both looking, and more or less as a place-holder William Steinberg was put in temporary charge of both, while still holding down Pittsburgh. It was something more, in other words, than just a guest conducting slot. Lots of heads were shaken and long beards stroked at the time over that situation, but Steinberg did make some good recordings with Boston for DG. I do not think he recorded at all with NY. And eventually things settled down. I seem to recall that Eugene Ormandy very temporarily stepped in in a similar way for Chicago but can’t recall if it was before or after Reiner. I do know that Stanislaw Skrowaczewski served such a function for the Milwaukee Symphony, although he is not I think officially listed as a former Music Director.

    My point such as it is, is that “buying time” is a perfectly respectable alternative.

  • Rob says:

    They should give it to Woody Allen, he loves New York and can play the clarinet.

  • Rayoiler says:

    I wish NY Phil would choose David Robertson. He is a great conductor and a champion of American music.

  • Anthony Sayer says:

    In quest of a hirsute music director, maybe?nth

  • Larry W says:

    Not listed above is the great Minnesota Orchestra, the American Concertgebouw. They lost a top contender, Juraj Valcuha, to the Houston Symphony. Several other contenders are conducting this season. Manfred Honeck is unlikely to leave Pittsburgh Symphony for Munich or Chicago. After several years, his detail-oriented results with Pittsburgh are spectacular and would be difficult to reproduce elsewhere.

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