German composer lands top US post
OrchestrasThe Kansas City Symphony has just named Matthias Pintscher as its next music director.
Pintscher, 52, is best known as a modernist composer of mostly orchestral works.
But he has also been principal conductor of the Lucerne Festival and music director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain.
A professor at Juilliard, he lives in New York.
Kansas City have appointed him for a five-year terms, ten weeks a year, succeeding Michael Stern, who has held the post for two decades.
He says: ‘this is a big day for me! I feel so humbled to become the next music director of the fabulous and dynamic Kansas City Symphony in 2024. Thank you to these extraordinary musicians and their inspiring leadership team to put their trust in me and make me feel so welcome!’
What an interesting hire for a good regional US orchestra. I have a friend who loves the commercial music scene in KC, so it is nice to know the classical scene is apparently doing well, too.
KCS is not a regional orchestra.
You’re right. Kanz City Symphony has a spectacular modern concert hall, a balanced budget, great pay. They did well hiring Pintscher!
I didn’t mean that as a negative descriptor; how would you classify the KC orchestra?
In American orchestral lingo, ‘regional orchestra’ describes ensembles that are not full-time jobs and therefore do not pay a livable wage to their musicians. It’s certainly not a top US post, but they are a full time orchestra and so regional just isn’t the right descriptor. It has nothing to do with geography or renown.
And to be its music director is not a “top US post” either.
Agreed. Bravo to KC It is an ambitious move to bring in Pitscher, and bodes well for the future. It signals a savvy local music management, board and audience scene. But making it a top post in the US will take time, money, persistence and consistency.
Best of luck to dynamic KC!!
Yes KC is a regional orchestra.
I know. Not even on the map.
If the Cleveland, for example, is national and international, KC is just by definition “regional” – no slur intended.
KCSO is a lot more than a “good regional US orchestra”. Every time I’ve had a chance to hear them they can play every bit as well as any of the Big Five and they have one of the finest concert halls anywhere in the world. They’ve made some terrific recordings for Reference Recordings you should check out. Superb orchestra, conductor and audiences!
Not sure the Kansas City Symphony job is a “Top U.S. Post”, but it is stated on their website they are within the “top 25” U.S. orchestras. As a long-time subscriber to their subscription concerts, I would say they may be around #20 if so. I think this is a good hire, but the new conductor has only appeared with the KCS for one weekend/three concerts, back in March, one of which I attended, with music by Scriabin, Ligeti and Ravel.
Scriabin, Ligeti and Ravel…sounds like his programming will be interesting!
Matthias Pintscher is an excellent choice for music director of this orchestra. And based on the press releases, he will conduct ten of the fourteen traditional/classical concert series weekend performances each season for five seasons, which is a significant commitment to the orchestra. The Kansas City Symphony performs three concerts for each weekend version of this concert series, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Additionally, and hopefully, Reference Recordings will continue its relationship with this orchestra when Pintscher becomes music director in 2024-2025, through 2028-2029. There is one more release to come on that record label with current music director Michael Stern, and that includes Schoenberg’s orchestral arrangement of Brahms’ Piano Quartet in G minor, and Virgil Thomson’s orchestration of Brahms’ 11 Chorale Preludes op.122.
As for my own experience of Matthias Pintscher as a conductor, his handful of guest conducting visits with the Utah Symphony in Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah were about seven-to-ten years ago, but I thought then that he was a most interesting conductor, and he elicited compelling and refined performances of Dvorak’s Symphony No.8 and Saint-Saens’ Piano Concerto No.5 with soloist Teo Gheorghiu.
His own “Idyll for Orchestra” and “Towards Osiris,” which the Utah Symphony also performed twice each, revealed, at least to me, a composer of significant ability. And I was of the opinion, even then, that he likely would eventually become a music director or principal conductor of a larger ensemble.
Wow. I really look forward to hearing the Thomson orchestrations of the Op. 122 chorale preludes! They’re elusive works, but worth the effort.
Matthias is a phenomenal composer, a very fine conductor,and an inspiring,fascinating mind….He is also a most charismatic and affable person with an unbelievable knowledge about music and the arts in general.
He’s “humbled” by this appointment.
Hmmm.
I wonder if his new employer is aware of the circumstances surrounding his suspicious exit from Lucerne years ago. Never addressed
Are you gossiping or are there facts? Your inuendo is in poorest taste.
Do tell….
He’s good. So was Stern.
According to their website, this orchestra plays only 3 classical concerts per year, and the rest of the very limited season (12 concerts) is pop material. This is certianly not a TOP post of any sort.
Where are you getting this from? The orchestra’s base salary is around $70k/yr. Only 12 concerts a year would not be sustainable.
Rubbish. Look again. They’ve played their “Classical Series” of 14 weekends (three concerts for each weekend) for many years. The season runs from early October through most of June.
very good composer but very bad conductor. kansas city will not be able to keep up with the new music he will program. when he conducts his own works, its pretty good but when he conducts debussy or brahms, yikes. where’s the door?
I’ve heard very good results from BBC broadcasts of various European orchestras.
He led an excellent Lohengrin during the pandemic in Berlin, albeit with the smaller orchestration with which the work first premiered in Weimar. I wouldn’t dismiss his ability to conduct standard rep.
Well, it’s true then. “Everything’s up to date in Kansas City …”
It’s Refreshing that a composer of contemporary concert music has been elected to lead a great American orchestra. Maybe they will start to play some contemporary concert music…
so sick of “humbled”. Such BS. Thrilled, honoured, excited but humbled means to cause someone to feel LESS important or proud. This American-speak is so utterly fake and people fall for it.
You need help….
Wonderful concert on DCS in Berlin last February where he stepped in for Rattle, doing Martinu, Zimmerman and Ligeti…I hadn’t seen him previously, but was quite impressed. Short notice for challenging program, but well done.
wonderful conductor, composer, and person. bravo to an American orchestra for finally doing something interesting