British conductor exits German post

British conductor exits German post

News

norman lebrecht

December 19, 2023

The intendant of Erfurt Theatre in Thuringia, Guy Montavon, has told principal conductor Alexander Prior to pack his things and leave, according to the local press.

Prior, 32, was appointed in 2022 as general music director, a position he promptly downgraded to principal conductor under the claim that it might conflict with his US residency application.

Since then, things have not gone well.

Prior insists he is leaving of his own volition and a statement has been issued to this effect.

Comments

  • Anthony Sayer says:

    This is interesting. Guy Montavon is not a man to cross at the best of times but is someone who has indisputably raised the quality of every theatre he has managed. Alexander Prior received a lot of support in his early days from his network but has never exploded onto the scene the way the hype would gave us believe. Does anyone have any more information which doesn’t involve a paywall?

    • Ben says:

      The article behind the paywall says he had a major falling out with the orchestra as well as a breakdown in communications with both the musicians and the rest of the theatre’s management team. He was also affected by ongoing visa issues and disliked the administrative side of his job. The Thüringer Allgemeine isn’t always the most reliable source of information, but it certainly sheds a different light on the situation and contradicts the official press statement.

  • Alex Prior says:

    Here is the information from Theater Erfurt about my resignation:

    “Alexander Prior has been working at the Erfurt Theater since the 2022/23 season. As chief conductor, he took on the responsibility and at the same time the challenge of maintaining and continuing the excellence of the orchestra.
    Today Alexander Prior signed a termination agreement at his own request. For personal reasons, he can no longer guarantee that the upcoming productions will run smoothly in the next few months. With his resignation, Alexander Prior would like to clear the way for colleagues to continue to meet the expectations of the audience he greatly values and loves.
    With effect from April 1, 2024, Alexander Prior’s employment relationship at the Erfurt Theater will end by mutual consent.
    The British composer and conductor of Russian origin, born in London in 1992, most recently served as chief conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra from 2017 to 2022. He really appreciated working at the Erfurt Theater. According to his statement, he goes “with a lot of love and gratitude” to the entire Erfurt Theater team and to the city of Erfurt, its citizens.
    The Erfurt Theater accepts Alexander Prior’s wish, but still regrets his decision.
    We wish Mr. Prior all the best for his future career.”

    • Serge says:

      Real life: “Alexander Prior signed a termination agreement at his own request”

      Slipped disc: “Fired”.

      • norman lebrecht says:

        There are always two sides to a conductor story

        • mk says:

          There may be. But you still need to support your version with some evidence, which you have not done.

        • As if! says:

          There’s a difference between there being two sides to a story and you pushing a side of the story which may not be true. Either that or you have something against conductors? Or job posting sites, given your recent articles attacking musical chairs? Or women given yhe scathing nonsense you recently wrote about friends of mine concerning the name of their quartet? I think what this means is “anything Norman deems to be a certain way in the eyes of Norman. Get a grip man. And learn the meaning of unbiased and balanced journalism. If you don’t have facts to back up your imagined theory, then just stick to the ones available. God almighty!

        • Kyle says:

          It’s ok if my grandma says “there are always two sides” but as a retort from the author of the article that doesn’t cut it. Do you have evidence that he was fired (even a source) or are you just guessing based on a hunch or whatever? If it’s the former you should say so. If it’s the latter, you should come clean.

        • Dragonfly says:

          If it is based on serious and reliable sources,yes.This article doesn´t say so.If you have other sources, you should document them.

  • Steph says:

    Farewell, sweet prince.

  • Sanity says:

    Perhaps they met his mother…ITKYK…

  • American Soprano says:

    Well, well, well, it seems like you’re at it once again, Mr. Lebrecht!!

    Please allow me to take this opportunity to help you and your readers get it right. Here is a link to the actual statement which contains the real story directly from Erfürt Theatre:https://www.theater-erfurt.de/aktuelles/chefdirigent-alexander-prior-verlaesst-das-theater-erfurt
    (https://www.theater-erfurt.de/aktuelles/chefdirigent-alexander-prior-verlaesst-das-theater-erfurt)
    The facts are that the Erfurt Theatre accepted Maestro Prior’s resignation, at HIS request, and the theater couldn’t hold onto him. I’m sorry, but it looks like you got it wrong – AGAIN!!

    Anyone who is willing to spend just a few minutes on Google will become apprized of the fact that you are anything but fond of Maestro Prior, and seem to take great delight in posting anything about him in the most negative light possible. Why? It’s almost as if you have a personal vendetta against him. Again I ask, why?

    Mr. Lebrecht, have you personally seen and experienced any of the operas Maestro Prior conducted/worked with in Erfurt? Did you personally go to Erfurt and see any of the productions firsthand? Or are you simply sitting at a keyboard – typing away, choosing to put adverse inferences and innuendos out publicly to create suspicion when it isn’t warranted? Are you aware that the productions that Maestro Prior led were critically acclaimed and very well received? Well, they were!

    In my opinion, you should correct your post by reworking the post,
    changing the title and post a correction ASAP.

  • Mark A says:

    Itts conductor? The piece is brief, so at the very least check it for spelling and grammar before uploading!

  • Dragonfly says:

    According to a friend of mine who sings in Erfurt,Alexander Prior did resign,and Mr.Montavon accepted his resignation.He wasn´t fired.

  • Apparition says:

    So, according to you people Mr. Lebrecht is a horror for a story that he really was correct about, 10 months in advance.

    Why are so many people here so hostile?

    From February 22, 2023, here on Slipped Disc he reported that this conductor guy was leaving only to be skewered because the guy who is leaving, was not leaving. Not quite yet.

    So. Now he is, one way or other, leaving.

  • Singer says:

    I’m a singer and worked actually with him at Theater Erfurt. He’s a passionate musician who thinks out of the box, tries new things and puts a lot of creative energy in everything he does. If I didn’t feel comfortable with his musical desicions I talked to him and he was listening and we found a good way to make it work. Music is a lot about taste. And when you try new things not everybody will like it but also many do (especially young people). With different (musical) cultures it can be difficult to communicate, but you at least you have to try, because he is open minded and always ready to change his opinion. Those who did try are in favour of him and appreciated to work with him. So it’s not fair everyone had problems with him, there are also a lot of people, who enjoyed to work with him and try knew things. Like me.

  • traveller says:

    By chance, I went to see Elektra at Theater Erfurt in October last year, conducted by him. It was mindblowing, singers as well as orchestra.

    There again, it takes a clever small german theatre to programme Elektra and La Belle Helene in the same season, spot the connection.

  • Anonymous says:

    I am a singer who worked with him, and I found his demeanor repulsive, but he fits right in at Theater Erfurt. The whole environment is a disaster, the artists are badly mistreated, the politics and egos are boundless, and even Montavon himself is in hot water for budget deficit and sexual abuse accusations. Prior was, in fact, fired, as stated in German news sources. How many times have we seen this before, “resign or you’re fired, it’s up to you” Placido Domingo anyone? Stop feeding into this operatic toxic bullshit, and deal with the truth.

    • Anthony Sayer says:

      Please tell us more.

    • Guest says:

      If what you say about Theater Erfurt is true, it explains why Alexander Prior “kann er einen reibungslosen Ablauf der anstehenden Produktionen in den nächsten Monaten nicht mehr garantieren” (as in the official statement on the Theater Erfurt website). It may also explain why he resigned.

      The Thüringer Allgemeine headline is “Montavon feuert chefdirigent Prior”. Do other German news sources say the same thing, independently?

  • Tabitha says:

    I worked with Alex this year with an orchestra. He was professional and kind. Quirky and fun. As a member of the orchestra staff, I can say the administration and musicians both adored him. Erfurt was blessed to have him, but his career can only go up from here!

  • Debussy says:

    Too young to be on the podium, with no life experience. What do you expect? Man sieht sich vielleicht wieder in 30 Jahren…

  • Saenger says:

    I worked with Maestro Prior in Erfurt and I think this is a real loss for this theater. Mr. Prior always showed the utmost professionalism and passion for his art, and the results were undeniable. The audiences always loudly cheered his artistry and personality on the podium. The colleagues were also very supportive of him because he showed respect to everyone in a rehearsal room and on the stage. He worked together with everyone to create high quality art by creating a positive and collaborative working environment. He expects excellence and through his brilliant musicality and delightful personality, he gets everyone to achieve his expectations. In a position often overflowing with ego, Mr. Prior was never self centered, always striving for everyone to succeed together. He gave everyone their moments to shine. Regardless of any intrigue or political pressures that arose in the theater, he always spoke with honesty and respect. He is a trustworthy and ethical man with incredible talent. It is a big loss for this theater but, the opera classical music world is fortunate to have such a passionate, talented, and good person who can carry the torch forward for the many years to come.

  • MOST READ TODAY: