Conductor wins black belt

Conductor wins black belt

News

norman lebrecht

November 03, 2022

From the Boston Symphony Orchestra:

Andris Nelsons with Master Chuang after receiving his Black Belt at CW Taekwondo at Boston. Andris Nelsons wishes to thank Master Chuang and all the wonderful people at the center. All of us at the BSO congratulate our music director on this amazing achievement!

Comments

  • Rachelle says:

    This will come in useful for some special conducting moves

  • CurlyQ111 says:

    You don’t really “win” a black belt, you earn it.

  • sammy says:

    Judging from his paunch, it’s more like a black belt in judo.

    Gimme a break, I know so many of these schools that practically give away black belts to get more and more paying students in the door, my sister got a black belt going every weekend for a few years, believe me, she’s no black belt.

    • CurlyQ111 says:

      Not sure what school she went to, but I’m 4 belts away from my black belt in Karate, and it’s been no walk in the park. Tons of tough work, consistency, and balancing strength/concentration/coordination. All while training reflexes under any given situation. It’s easy to criticize from the sidelines.

  • sammy says:

    *in sumo*

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    Well done, Maestro, but get rid of the Big Mac!!

  • Dienstag says:

    Good result! And one of the best conductors nowadays!

  • Fenway says:

    Now if he could only get his nose out of the score. The Boston band love him because he lets them do whatever they want.

    • Potter Herald says:

      Is it? And what about Vienna, Berlin, Gewandhaus? Don’t they like him? Have ever Mariss Jansons raised his head from the score?

  • Player says:

    He is a bit of a porker. Is it the Eastern European love of the booze (Leipzig) or the American nosebags (Boston)?

  • M2N2K says:

    Getting a Black Baton would be a much harder task.

  • Eric says:

    Matching outfits!

  • Mr. Ron says:

    I doubt that Thielmann will be chosen by Chicago as its musical director. More likely a guest conductor.

    He’s good but there are better. He is too controversial and has a limited command of lots of good music.

    My top choice is Honeck at Pittsburgh but he may be contractually obliged there. That also might explain the long delay at the CSO. Also a good pick, better than Thielmann, would be Iván Fischer. He’s Hungarian but so were George Solti, Fritz Reiner and Eugene Ormandy and we know how they turned out. He’s very good and about the right age for Chicago. He has a broader repertoire than Thielmann.

    What does this have to do with the BSO? Well, the conductor of the Chicago Civic orchestra is none other than a Masur, Ken- David, son of the famous Gewandhaus conductor and music Director of the New York Phil, Kurt Masur; but Boston would be his dream job. He is presently in Milwaukee. I think the CSO job will lead to lots of musical chair movement.

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