Breaking: New job for Jaap Van Zweden
NewsThe outgoing music director of the New York Philharmonic is to take charge of the Radio France philharmonic orchestra from mid-2026. The Dutchman will succeed the long-serving Finn, Mikko Franck.
Van Zweden, 63, has also swapped his position with the Hong Kong Philharmonic for the higher-visibility Seoul Philharmonic.
His short tenure in New York barely touched the sides.
Jaap Van Zweden never caught fire with the New York classical music public. He was a musical nonentity.
When you start you carreer as the Concertgebouw Konzertmeister whth Haitink and Chailly I don’t think you become a “musical nonentity” for life. Same thing when you are MD of the Dutch Radio Orchestra. Sorry to bring some nuances. But maybe yes he was not excellent for the marketing.
Sorry, but personality and marketing is a large part of the mix for the success of a music director of a major orchestra in a world-class city. It is not Mr. Van Zweden’s fault, nor does it take away from his
musicianship.
It is what it is.
The issue is nonsensical. Van Zweden did not get the chance to build-up his work in NY due to corona and its aftermath and the refurbishment of the hall, plus staff changes. The whole story is a fabrication.
Yes, he came at an unfortunate time but I did not enjoy his conducting which I found heavy handed, lacking subtlety or any romantic instincts. Having said that I wish him good luck in Paris, typically you need some there…..
Perhaps it is the difference between American and Dutch expectations of a public figure, even in the rarified world of conducting. Americans expect more of a complete package of musicianship and showmanship. It is, in the end, entertainment (think Bernstein), regardless of the highbrow gloss.
A “musical nonentity” is harsh, but Van Zweden is a second-rate conductor who has managed to keep falling upwards. There are plenty of conductors stuck conducting obscure regional orchestras who offer more individual, unique, and compelling interpretations.
When you consider that NY has the money to hire whoever it wants as MD, it has hired quite a few head scratchers over the last few decades.
Where does this burb come from? The Hong Kong Phil issued a stunning Ring for Naxos a couple of years ago that belongs to the top recordings of that work, the Vienna Symphony had a very syccessful European tour recently, Seoul insisted of having him, the Berlin State Orchestra wanted him for their New Year’s Concert which was sold-out in minutes, etc. etc. Even his early Brahms box with the Netherlands Phil belongs to the top recordings of that repertoire.
And what about all the new American works he did in NY? All the many commissions?
Many so-called ‘music lovers’ simply have no ears, or they forgot to replace the batteries of their hearing aids.
I don’t disagree completely but I’ve a suspicion you haven’t heard him with the NYPO in Geffen Hall…………or Carnegie come to that. Records are a whole other ball of wax.
This voice of support doesn´t come entirely unexpected, since JvZ is the only conductor of note having performed anything of your output over the last 8 years, on two occasions.
You say! I always count nrs of performances to get an idea of what the music is, we both know that it’s the only objective measurement. The rest is pretentious nonsense!
Sally
His ,so far,only gig with the Berlin Phil was also”legendary”….Just ask some of the players.
It was the Berliner Staatskapelle. Professional musicians know the difference.
https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/de/concert/3460
How old he was when he became konzermeister? 19?
Definitely not a “musical nonentity”, but one thing is to play the violin one thing is to conduct. I have heard him a lot in Amsterdam (where I live): some very good concerts but also many non-descript ones…
How would that be different of all other conductors in the world?
He s just not excellent, not even very good. Good at his best days. He should have stayed a concertmaster….
The New York music public is a musical nonentity: they can’t sustain the Met, they can’t sustain the Philharmonic, they couldn’t sustain the New York City Opera, the couldn’t even sustain the Mostly Mozart Festival, the can’t sustain a summer residency (the Philharmonic has to emigrate to Colorado every summer), they can’t even fill out Central Park for a free concert they are that pathetic.
Actually, a very fair assessment.
It can but it does not want to. This is the tragedy.
Actually the philharmonic is financially sound as far as I know. The Met and NYC Opera are victims of crass incompetence, and Mostly Mozart was another unforced error.
There is Carnegie Hall left, but for how long? Even there are issues that have been discussed recently.
Jaap’s appointment was one of Matthew Van Besien’s many missteps. When Deborah Borda replaced VanBesien, her mission and directive were to (1) get rid of Jaap and (2) renovate David Geffin Hall. She succeeded in both. When Jaap’s non-renewal was announced, his publicist created a fairy tale that “the pandemic had made him rethink his life and priorities” (a lie repeated in Tuesday’s New York Times). The truth is Jaap was fired, plain and simple. Jaap’s NY Phil tenure is one of the shortest and most unremarkable of any music director of a major US orchestra.
Only half true. Borda took the job after a weekend’s persuasion by Van Zweden. Each needed the other, until they didn’t.
The truth is that v Zweden got seriously ill with corona and was forced to reconsider his time distribution between the far east and the far west, and his family in Amsterdam. That is why he is focussing more on Europe. The story has been blown-up to ridiculous proportions.
Are you the guy who bought the Brooklyn Bridge?
I highly doubt Deborah needed persuasion to return to NYC. No one coerces her.
Let it clear that the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) musicians most definitely did not “insist” on having Jaap. Jaap had NEVER conducted the SPO before he was appointed. He got the SPO job because the SPO threw fists full of money at him through a shady deal brokered by the unscrupulous manager Ki Soo Lee who has gone on to become Jaap’s “Asia manager.”
I love this stuff! We all want to be reassured, don’t we?
Sally
Hope Paris will prove a more friendly venue for his talents. Good luck!!!
It is true that he is appreciated by Parisians, Chicagoans, Amsterdammers, the hell with New Yorkers who don’t even like themselves
I think no one questions Mr van Zweden’s musical talents. It’s his toxic personality that does him in. His tenure as music director in Dallas, Hong Kong, and New York all started with promise and high expectations, but ended with the musicians and management in each of these orchestras despising him. This was due largely to how he treats people and not lack of appreciation for his talents.
Not to mention antwerp…
There are many reports saying that his strictness and high demands suddenly became a challenge for players who were used to routine and not much more. People often love to indulge in the negative side of things because that sounds so much more interesting.
Jaap’s modus operandi goes much beyond “strictness and high demands”. It borders on emotional and psychological abuse.
Heard similar things. Two friends of mine playing with the Netherlands Radio Phil got sick for months, developing ulcers and depression because of his constant verbal and psychological terror..One spoke of him as”slave driver”.
In every company there are always a few disgruntled employees whose opinions should be taken with a bushel of salt.
Of course, the best conductor is the one who is kind and warm to every player and have them their own way of playing, and does not interrupt or undermine their own opinion of their part, who gets the whole orchestra together by letting the players express their individual resonance with the music. We know by experience that this gives always the best results, and sometimes such beautiful rehearsels lead to the conductor no longer needing to be present at the performance.
Mikko Franck did a very good work in a superb new concert hall I hope one day who will have the name of Chung. It was very very diffficult to come after Chung in this orchestra very popular thanks to the summer festivals. I know Van Zweden he’s used to come in Paris for conducting the other orchestra, the one of the city. I’am curious to know if he’s speaks french.
Mikko Franck did an extraordinary Sibelius 7 here in Chicago recently, I believe the best I have ever played. At any rate, I cannot recall anybody else so convincingly navigating the extraordinarily subtle gradations of tempo that make or break that work. It is a shame he has some physical issues, because he is an elite conductor.
The bullying, boorish , coarse performances delivering JvZ can´t hold a candle to Mikko Franck.also in technical terms.
Franck is absoltuely a conductor´s conductor, and that despite permanent health issues.
“bullying, boorish , coarse performances” from JVZ. Harshly put but I absolutely agree. I never heard a less romantic Debussy Faun, even Boulez was more sultry.
Were the musicians of this superb orchestra consulted about this choice of conductor? I’m not so sure.
I can confirm that many orchestre philharmonique de radio france musicians do not support this appointment. We were warned by our colleagues in new york and hong kong, but the management here chose to ignore us.
We’ll gladly take him in Chicago as a Principal conductor, he’s probably the only one capable of cleaning up the mess Muti left behind
Your CSO colleagues sounded just great at Carnegie a few months back. I am doubtful you are a CSO member…….use your real name like I do.
I, unlike you, still have to work with Muti and his few loyalists in the orchestra so no, sorry, not gonna use my name. But I’m glad you chose to question my identity because my views don’t align with yours, but “French musician” above must be real because he/she says exactly what you want to hear.
He claims in an interview in the newspaper Le Monde that it was love at first sight for him with this orchestra. But was this feeling recipricol?
The real story is: after a couple of concerts with the orchestra, who were looking for a new conductor, the enthusiasm of the players was such that the director was submerged with strong demands to forget the shortlist and appoint v Zweden as soon as possible, they unanimously wanted him.
PS:
Such was the story as extensively related in the media.
PS – This only goes to show that you cannot believe everything that appears in the media (including on slipped disc)!
Mr Borstlap: Your ad nauseam posts defending Jaap diminish your credibility. Is he paying you to do this?
He plays occosionally his music.
I’m not allowed to tell this, so be quiet about it, but we get vans every day here at the gate with big trunks filled to the brim with cash from conductors, like (redacted), (redacted) and – not to forget – even (redacted), they beg him to write beautiful blurbs about them because that’s the only way for them to get some good praise which their agents need, all the other reviews are so bad that they can’t sleep at night. I have a standard example on my desk here & merely need to copy it with slight alterations… it’s nice, and pays for my salary. I love the music business!
Sally
This is simply not true. It was very far from unanimous. Jaap’s music director agreement with orchestre philharmonique de radio france is only for 6 weeks per saison because the orchestre cannot “afford” more weeks due to his ridiculous fee. This is less than half what some previous music directors offered.
It’s a bad decision that will end in tears.
I am really happy that he was nominated, and I am not the only one. Cannot wait to work with Maestro.
Best regards
There still are excellent musicians in Paris….. happy to take-on musical challenges.
At least, the musicians have to put up with him only for six weeks per season.
It’s not true, he will conduct 8 weeks plus tour each season.
Best regards.
A conductor needs to be a “people person”. Mo.Jaap is sorely lacking in that department.
Hence the enthusiasm of HK Phil, Seoul, Dallas, Chicago, etc. etc.
Obviously all those players are thorough masochists.
Have you ever worked with him?
Actually, yes.
I’m greatly surprised by all that negative stuff.
Oh really? Honi soit qui mal y pense….
I have. Once. Thank God it was a one off experience.
I’m only listening to professional musicians! They know it all. The rest is merely posturizing.
Sally
Well, in Dallas and at the Netherlands Radio Phil most of the players couldn´t wait to see his back.
Yes I have these typos as well. Once I also got ‘him’ wrong in an invitation which created quite a stirr at the other end. Best is to reread after a deep breath.
Sally
You mean like Reiner or Szell?
I wish him well. But I am not a fan of his conducting. It’s fast and loud 24/7/365 without flexibility or nuance. Maybe that’s what he thought he needed to do in NY? I have to believe that he’s capable of more beautiful and nuanced music making.
His series of Bruckner CD’s shows everything the music needs.
New York is a very tough band. It takes the right kind of person to get over with the Philharmonic
Who says that NY is the best place for a subtle art form like classical music?
One simply has to look at the skyline.
While on the topic of conductors, does anyone know the $950k/year mystery maestro in this article? I think someone Asian… https://www.bonappetit.com/story/food-diary-san-francisco-950k-salary
Interesting; most people would probably consider all these jobs a step down from the NY Phil. Budget-wise and reputation-wise that’s probably true. But both these new orchestras are more than capable of making great music, without the hassle of being in the glare of New York.
I wish Mikko Franck, great conductor, a bright future!
Franck was much better. Where is he going to?
He is entertaining the general public but deterred all real music lovers in Hong Kong. His music is basically tasteless without soul.
‘His music’ is confusing the works with the performance, which does not add much credibility to this reaction. The HK concert performance of the Ring which v Zweden introduced with the HK Phil, who had never done this work before, has been widely considered as a great improvement of both the orchestra and classical music performance in HK. But that does not mean there are no deaf people in HK.
Well, maybe the French can use Jaap as a late-night talk show host.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFR2zU8-OSM&t=3s&ab_channel=HermanBrood%26hisWildRomance
Or as a crossover violinist?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90gP835v5_s&ab_channel=LuiteLubberts
Great musicians are not allowed to be young.
Jaap and the French, perfect match. They so deserve each other.
The only real good thing he ever did was giving Karina Cannelakis a big break.Even back then, she was infinitely better than he ever was.
And, he deserves real admiration for giving huge sums for Dallas SO principal trumpet Ryan Anthony´s multiple myolema treatment ,and visiting him and his family in difficult times.
Coming to the NYPO shortly. I agree she’s very good and I can’t wait to hear her
I had drinks last Thursday with three good friends in the NYP. They had just performed the ny premier of Anders Hillborg’s MAX piano concerto, which I throughly enjoyed.
The conversation finally turned to Jaap. They said he never has an overarching concept of any work. In rehearsals he focuses on technical issues only. The orchestra can’t stand him.
Hillborg is a sound artist, v Zweden is a musician. ‘Overarching concept’ is a nonsensical notion with sound art.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrwhp8j9bkQ
Van Zweden is rightfully praised for his handling of grand-scale form, as his recordings of Bruckner, Brahms and Wagner attest.
1.:JVZ gave the (very fine) world premiere of Mr.Hillborg´s song cycle From the Strand with the NYPO and Renee Fleming in 2020
2.:There is no profession called sound artist
3.:Mr.Hillborg´s works are lush, harmonically rich, and very accessible
Klangkunst is an entirely accepted art form in Germany and beyond, and should not be confused with music. There’s fine sonic art being produced (like Morton Feldman’s) and also a lot of crap – as in music.
Maybe you should have read Fenway´s post more carefully. It nowhere says JVZ conducted the Hillborg MAX premiere( Eun Sun Kim did)…It says just that he and a few NYPO musicians discussed JVZ, and his rehearsals and performances.Just BTW, one of my long time friends, a NYPO principal told me that one of his favourite pieces, Brahms 4, became actually a piece he started to loathe at a recent performance under JVZ.
I cannot understand that someone likes that horrible piece at all. Once I had to sit through it & got physically ill with gall stones.
Sally
Sorry about that, she is tone-deaf, as so many contributors here.
He was a damn good violinist and he should’ve stuck to that.
Jaap never got his role with the NY Phil. He wasn’t a gadfly around town, he didn’t glad handle contributors, he did not make himself accessible to the media after the initial blitz. His shaved head-Uncle Fester coat was a fashion faux pas. He really is a musicians musician, but unless he changes his ways with the public, he’s not going to have a position with a spotlight like he did in NYC. Being a great musician is just not good enough for the prime posts.
What does this say about ‘prime posts’, I wonder. It does not mean climbing high but stooping down.
As a french horn player, I can only state that van Zweden is the absolute worst conductor I’ve ever worked with. I know for a fact that he destroyed many professional musicians in the process of his ‘career’. And having seen all of the scandals worldwide involving leadership abuse, it’s really a miracle to me that it’s even possible he gets again a new appointment in a civilised country today. Bad management skills and traditional orchestra culture can be a poisonous combination, I suppose.
Come on people, it is 2024!! Why is this still happening?
And if he were, besides this terrible person a genius conductor, I would perhaps give him some benefits there, but in even that department, he performs very poorly. He only wants things to be together, big contrast (loud and fast) and obviously no split notes from me and my dear horn colleagues. So no pressure there
Yes he is terrible, that is why so many orchestras want to have him, to get destroyed. When he leaves one, all the horn players breathe with relief so that they can cultivate their split notes again.
Do you apologize for his immoral behaviors outside the concert hall as well?
There is no evidence of any immoral behavior of vZw outside the concert hall, in contrary: he has set-up a foundation for autistic children in which he has invested lots of his earnings, and which is very successful, with a large institution where such children are trained to become independent and build-up their own life. Music therapy is an important item therein. The organisation has spread into a network of effective support activities.
https://www.papageno.nl/
All of that slander is quite distasteful.