Belfast loses first conductor, then concertmaster
OrchestrasThe Ulster Orchestra is losing its chief conductor Daniele Rustioni at the end of the season.
It has just heard that Tamás Kocsis, who has led the orchestra since 2010 is leaving even sooner.
Associate Leader Ioana Petcu-Colan moves up into the hot seat.
Ioana is an excellent violinist and will do very well as concert master. I’ve always enjoyed working with her.We recorded together the Bruch(Lyric FM) and performed Prokofiev with the UO.
I wish her well and I’m sure her colleagues will be happy to work with her.
This is one big win for Ulster. Ioana is top class.
Lucky them to have Ioana – she essentially has been the go-to leader for years. Great player and wonderful human being.
Good news. Finally a good leader.
I would like to thank Tamás Kocsis for his incredible contribution to classical music in Northern Ireland. His performances were totally inspiring and he is truly a violinist of an international standard. Of particular note, were his performances of Bartok and of the Kurt Weill concerto which have been the best performances of any leader of the Ulster Orchestra since its inception. Sadly this level of performance is unlikely to heard again in Northern Ireland. He will be greatly missed by the many of us who are truly InThe Know.
Tamas Kocsis definitely is the bigger loss of the two.
This is a sad moment for that plucky band. Their management seems to make a habit of running off competent musical leadership. Payare, Rustioni, Faletta….will they ever find a leader and an identity? Now they’ve managed to part ways with their fine leader, Tamás Kocsis.
Clearly, there is more going on than expanding their leader position from one to two. Budgets are tightening—why now? It seems unwise, at best. Now more is being paid, for two people to cover less capably (I suspect) what the previous leader handled superlatively.
Too many mysterious exits with no explanation from this orchestra. Investors, supporters and funding will start disappearing rapidly if they keep this shit up.