Birmingham rows back another reform
OrchestrasOne of the first things Emma Stenning (pic) did on becoming CEO of the CBSO was to cancel the orchestra’s long-standing role as showcase for the Dudley International Piano Competition.
Guess what?
We hear the CBSO has now offered itself as one of the competition prizes. Next year’s winner will get to play a concerto of his/her choice.
This looks more and more like weather-vane management, in-out, out-in.
Stenning, by the way, urged delegates to the recent conference of the Association of British Orchestras not to read Slippedisc. Her plea fell on deaf ears. Delegate eyes were firmly fixed on their phone screens.
But it’s a completely different thing. Lots of orchestras offer engagements (as part of the prize package) to competition winners.
Actually promoting the competition final (and picking up the tab for venue and orchestra in said final) – which is what, for whatever reason, the CBSO has decided to cease doing – is an entirely separate matter. It’s damned if you do and damned if you don’t, isn’t it? Does anyone expect the Halle or RLPO to carry the entire cost of the Leeds Competition concerto final? The CBSO has done that for DIPC since 2014 (three competitions in total) and the end result is that it’s actually getting worse PR than if it had left the Competition to sink or swim unaided a decade ago.
But the RPLO does offer this for the James Mottram Piano competition. Offer rehearsals and performances for the 3 finalists. Granted that the venue is taken care of by the RNCM. Maybe the Dudley could do that with the Royal Birmingham conservatoire and engage the CBSO. It just seems like the CBSO management did not consider much options other than withdrawing and now pedalling back a little bit. But I could be wrong. A lot happens behind closed doors.
I think you misunderstand my point, which is that offering concerto dates to competition winners is wholly normal for orchestras; it’s a widespread practice. The RLPO has never promoted the Leeds final as part of its own season or (as far as I know) played in the final for free – which is what the CBSO did for the DIPC for several years.
Dudley Competition paid for the hire of Symphony Hall on each occasion (and conductor, Mike Seal’s fee)
My mistake – thanks for the correction, John. But the orchestra still played and promoted the final concert gratis, didn’t it?
Thank you, IC225, for this measured and well-informed response. Such comments are the overwhelming minority on this website.
I hope that the ABO delegates take the opportunity to read yours!
(Incidentally, do we actually know for sure that Emma Stenning urged ABO delegates not to read Slipped Disc, and if she did comments to that effect, what her actual words were? It is good practice to double check – or even single check – “facts” before repeating them as gospel).
Norman, let me propose another view: the orchestra is under no obligation to the Dudley International Piano Competition. The previous arrangement of playing for the finals was not fixed in perpetuity and we (DIPC) enjoyed their whole hearted support for fifteen or so years. They are also under no obligation to offer a concerto date (with good fee) to an, as yet unknown winner of the 2025 competition. But they have done so both in the spirit of loyalty and altruism (supporting local enterprise, etc) and in my view this is a far more prestigious prize than the one offered by the Dubai International Competition where the winner will have the pleasure of playing with the Oxford Philharmonic.
Seems that the CBSO joins the MET and AN in the SD Hall of Infamy. Contributors are invited to add their own nominees as their spleen sees fit.
Separately from the piano competition issue (which benefits from additional clarity/thought provided in the comments), I would challenge whether this was what Emma ACTUALLY said about SD. Worth saying that a number of delegates at the conference felt concern about the way that slipped disc can sometimes seem to cannibalise the “industry”. Any negative view on the site certainly isn’t a lone voice. Many expressed concern that giving this site too much focus isn’t good as the coverage is often so negative. We really need to focus on the positives and report news without dragging others down. It is an awful time for culture in the UK, what is Slipped Disc’s role in all of this?
With the hellish shouting match online on every issue these days do we need more negative takes?
I am an avid reader of the site, I do actually enjoy hearing fresh music news and applaud the way you share stories so quickly and make interesting connections. It does feel like you are running a slight smear campaign on Emma, would the approach be the same (or would you have the same low level of tolerance) if a man was newly in post as CEO in the midst of all the challenges currently foisted upon us all. Not an accusation, more a provocation!
Says all you need to know about the ABO. We find the LAO quite supportive, even when we expose their faults. ABO sticks its heads in sand and whinges behind cupped hands.
It’s no secret that plenty of people in the orchestra business don’t like Slipped Disc – and much prefer commentators (the overwhelming majority, in truth) who effectively act as unpaid PR. When you’re used to a relatively easy ride on most fronts, even one difficult or uningratiating voice can seem like an outrage. There’s a saying: news is what people don’t want reporting; the rest is PR. Mr Lebrecht is a rare commentator in this field who is in no way financially beholden to the industry: for that reason alone (and for all its flaws) if SD didn’t exist it would be necessary to invent it.
As regards Ms Stenning: I’m inclined to think it’s far too early to be judgemental about what she is trying to do (in trying financial conditions, and with an impossible act to follow). I’m also inclined to think that the question is not whether this site would have given her the benefit of the doubt if she had been a man (the sector had and has many women in senior leadership positions), but whether it would have done so if she had had any – any! – prior experience in orchestral management.
Norman, please allow me to enlighten the readers of your post with some context. I emailed you with news of this offer of a concerto engagement from the CBSO to which you replied: ‘this is good news!’ only then to portray it as anything but. No-one would have guessed that you applauded this positive development. Do you ever consider the collateral damage of some of your posts?
John, it is good news and was reflected as such.
How is Kazuki Yamada doing? We hear nothing about him here. Quite a contrast from the saturation over his predecessor. Is he less loyal than Mirga?
I didn’t know about this site until Emma Stenning made me aware of it by telling me not to read it.
(The Stenning Effect).
We are certain that Mrs Stenning is an impressive and talented lady, but as longstanding subscribers at Symphony Hall we have reluctantly concluded that she knows very little about how to administer an Orchestra. How she came to be appointed as chief executive of the CBSO is beyond us. We fear for the future with her at the helm and the Council funding being decimated.