Montreal CEO quits

Montreal CEO quits

Orchestras

norman lebrecht

February 02, 2024

Madeleine Careau has announced her retirement at the end of this season as CEO of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. She has worked for the orchestra for quarter of a century, introducing Kent Nagano and Rafael Payare as music directors.

Comments

  • V.Lind says:

    “Quits” has negative connotations that this item does not support. This lady retired after 25 years of service. For the cost of typing two more characters, this headline could have been more accurate.

  • Anonymous says:

    I am fairly certain quitting and retiring are two different things.

  • OSF says:

    She has been there a long time. She came from an entertainment background, IIRC. I lived in Montreal when Dutoit abruptly quit in 2002, and she was quoted in the press saying she wasn’t aware of Dutoit’s abusive rehearsal behavior, because she didn’t attend rehearsals. Didn’t seem like a good omen. But after recovering from the fallout over Dutoit, the OSM has done very well over the past 20 years. In Dutoit’s last years the OSM played to a lot of empty seats. Nagano routinely sold out the house, the OSM is sounding great and on all the major streaming platforms, seemingly happy with Payare. I guess some credit is due the management. I imagine it will be an attractive job – great orchestra, nice hall, and it’s Montreal; what’s not to like?

    • V.Lind says:

      Indeed. I imagine more than one orchestra is crossing fingers that they do not lose one of their own senior staff. The prospect of going into a going concern in a receptive community…

    • MWnyc says:

      What’s not to like? Just about everything’s to like, as long as you can handle the winters and are completely bilingual.

      One thing, come to think of it: the OSM’s CEO probably has to be more concerned with politics and politicians than would be necessary in the US (and maybe even in Toronto).

      • V.Lind says:

        It’s as much as a politician’s career is worth in Quebec to appear to be a philistine. Canada is not the United States; we do not resent the pittance they grudgingly allow to the arts. (Granted, we do not have their defence commitments, having declined to invade Iraq). Certainly the arts face the same economy that all other sectors do, but at least the arts ARE a budget item.

        As for bilingual — they are likely to choose a Canadian or a European. Lots of those are bilingual. It’s an administrative role. They will be seeking first and foremost a Quebecer.

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