Last minute saviour for piano contest
OrchestrasThe Dudley International Piano Competition, which was thrown out of Symphony Hall by wokeist new management at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, has found a different venue in the city and more prize money.
Founder John Humphreys writes:
Gratifying end of year news: Dudley International Piano Competition 2025 continues with recital finals in the Elgar Concert Hall, University of Birmingham 18th May 2025 with increased prize money.
Not a good look for the CBSO.
Haven’t they already said that it was a financially-driven decision? At CBSO there was a concerto finish, which meant rehearsals and performance by the musicians. At Elgar they will return to the recital finish, which was their form for many years.
I’m not sure what is “woke” about revising priorities when resources are shrinking, although if the money is going to training programmes about DIE and the hiring of a diversity officer, then I would wonder.
In any case, it will go on, with more money going to the winners, which is not bad.
Anything that Norman doesn’t like is “woke”, be it an hiring someone who isn’t white or programming a work written by a woman.
Well done to John. The narrow minded stupidity of the new management at the CBSO beggars belief. Heaven help this great orchestra with these me woke people in charge.
Not so fast Tim.
CBSO. No so hasty dear Norman – discussions taking place!
The CBSO didn’t “throw” anyone out of Symphony Hall – how could they? They don’t own or manage the venue. They simply ceased to pick up the bill for the Competition to hire the hall and the orchestra. Why, none of us except the competition management or the new CBSO CEO can say (although it’s worth pointing out that Sym Hall runs its own, completely separate, piano competition) but it is simply a fact that for most of the Dudley competition’s history no orchestra was involved at all.
If (big if) the situation genuinely is as described here, then the end result of the CBSO’s recent generosity in effectively subsidising and co-promoting the competition final in the last few years seems to be that the benefactor gets cast as the villain. No good deed goes unpunished, apparently.
The arrangement had always been that Dudley (DIPC) paid for the hire of Symphony Hall with no further cost for the CBSO which included the competition as part of its concert season. A generous gesture on the part of Stephen Maddock and the orchestra.
The hard cost of providing the orchestra players and time to DIPC would certainly not be nothing to the CBSO (on top of concert season inclusion, marketing and admin support)
Correction to my earlier comment: Symphony Hall no longer runs the Birmingham (formerly Brant) International Piano Competition, which now takes place at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
In itself, that’s a reflection on the financial realities of trying to sustain two major piano competitions in a city that struggles to find a paying audience for even one. Symphony Hall has over 2000 seats. Even Andras Schiff couldn’t (and didn’t) fill it.
Too many seats Herr Mozart, too many …
A timely corrective required: DIPC (Dudley competition) has enjoyed fine support from the CBSO over many years, the only UK orchestra to feature a piano competition as part of its concert season and we, at Dudley have no reason to question the orchestra’s (and CEO’s) need to rethink the way forward for the orchestra in these financially perilous times. Discussions will be taking place to determine whether a connection might be maintained. Meanwhile the continuing social media criticism of the CBSO is both unhelpful and unnecessary.
That’s great to hear – and shows up in a good light what people of culture can do when needed ! Best wishes to all concerned !
Dear Norman,
Please could you correct this. The competition was not thrown out of Symphony Hall by the CBSO. SH and CBSO are two separate entities, we hired SH, the orchestra played for the finals. I wouldn’t dare presume that this was a careless decision by the orchestra rather that financial matters weigh as heavily on them as other arts institutions. Some good might come out of this – we are exploring options.
John, I seem to recall the you posted something saying the CBSO boss said you didn’t fit into their plans. Right or wrong?
https://slippedisc.com/2023/10/brum-dumps-piano-competition/
Correct Norman, I gather that the orchestra is building towards a five year plan (starting April 2024) in the midst of the threat of declining funding from both the city council (recently declared bankrupt), and changes to orchestra tax relief
‘Wokeist’? what sort of cretinous nonsense is this? that’s a ridiculous word for a non-existent concept.