Boston is road-testing five concertmasters

Jeremy Eichler reports in the Globe that the Boston Symphony ‘has narrowed its search down to five candidates’ for concertmaster. Two of them are already members of the orchastra. All five will be given opportunities this season before a decision is made about a successor to Malcolm Lowe, who retired in 2019. 

The Boston Brahmins don’t do things in a rush. It’s unlikely we’ll see a new BSO president any time this year.

The organisation that Gail Samuel inherited was appalling. We hear from someone who applied for an office job at the BSO in January 2020: ‘The offices were shambolic. Really bad. I was interviewed by someone who wanted to talk about her family vacations. Mouldering carpet that stank. I was in disbelief.’

We have received reports that large numbers of staff departed during 2022. The BSO has refused to give us a number, but reveals that its staff complement had actually increased by 11 people in 2022, from 134 to 145.

The organisation remains in poor shape.