Breaking: Cleveland loses its concertmaster
OrchestrasThe US violinist David Radzynski has resigned as concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra. The circumstances are unclear, but he left the post nine days ago, which is highly precipitate.
Radzynski was formerly concertmaster of the Israel Philharmonic. He lasted less than two years in Cleveland.
His predecessor William Preucil was fired in 2018.
The Cleveland Orchestra has yet to issue an official statement.
UPDATE: The following statement has now reached us:
By mutual decision, David Radzynski has stepped down from the post of Concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra effective March 3, 2024. Mr. Radzynski assumed the role of Concertmaster in January of 2023, after playing with the orchestra on its first post-pandemic European tour in the Fall of 2022. As Concertmaster, Mr. Radzynski demonstrated superb skills as a violinist and proved himself to be a dedicated and hard-working musician. The Cleveland Orchestra is grateful to Mr. Radzynski for his contribution to the Orchestra and for his utmost professionalism and looks forward to his long and successful career in the industry.
Cleveland sounds like a charming place.
Definitely is.
best orchestra in the world
Did he win the Boston concertmaster job? I know he was sitting in a few weeks ago
I heard from a good source he was actually not offered tenure with TCO and went to guest concertmaster a few weeks ago with the Boston Symphony – an orchestra he auditioned for a few years ago. He didn’t advance past the first round at that audition.
Not true. David was BSO’s top finalist and they decided not to take anyone which was years ago.
He was the super-finalist for the Boston concert master position, this I know first hand. Let us be accurate about this. This can be verified with BSO itself. Cheers!
Does it really make sense to you that a concertmaster at his level will not pass a first round of an audition? This is absolutely fake news and sounds like a hater to me.
A CM “at his level” will not even be required to go through first round, but would be invited directly into at least the second round if not more likely even into the third – so the notion of him not advancing beyond the first round is definitely ludicrous.
incorrect — he was in the super-finals (last 2 standing; no hire) for Boston Symphony concertmaster.
Was your “good source” gossiping in a barber shop, pool hall, or a trailer park?
He was recently seen as a guest CM in Boston.
This title is very misleading.
He did not quit and it wasn’t abrupt.
I’d say many of us have felt that David was the best concertmaster we’ve had in this orchestra, but unfortunately, much like many of us, his musical style didn’t mesh well with the MD.
The music director has style?
If your ears aren’t clogged, you will hear that the sound of the orchestra is fantastic. I would think FWM deserves some credit for that.
Spot on!!!!!!. The silly ,childish pen name of the commentator above implies he is stuck somewhere in the early 1990s, and has stopped listening to FWM, Cleveland, and, most likely,to many others. FWM and Cleveland and BPO Petrenko are the absolute pinneacles of orchestral performing standards.
“… his musical style didn’t mesh well with the MD.”
In what way?
I read somewhere once (most likely the NYT), that FWM often asks for a “gray” sound from the orchestra, which is this washed out neutral sound that he favors, that the orchestra has learned to produce just for him.
He’s a bit of a milquetoast, that’s his style. And lucky for him the NYT’s Woolfe and Barone like him for it.
I will agree with the “milquetoast” point. I don’t quite know what “washed out” means but I can safely say the Vienna Phil did not produce anything washed out in their 3 concerts with him recently. Far from it.
Well, he likes absolute transparency, which is the most important thing in orchestral playing…Not burying everything under personal”emotions”which obscure details and are mostly the conductor´s, not the composer´s.
Don’t worry. Your management is going to pay another hefty sum to Amanda Ameer so that either Zachary Woolfe or Joshua Barone, NY Times critics with identical opinions derived from the same sources, will run another article telling everyone why Cleveland is so extraordinarily fortunate to have FWM as their MD.
This is by far the most likely scenario.
If violinist David Radzynski was in fact not offered tenure with the Cleveland Orchestra, as “Plato” writes in a comment above, then, since the concertmaster is the “top” position in the orchestra, music director Franz Welser Möst by himself could and likely did not grant him tenure.
Commenter “Plato” then goes on to also state in his comment above the following about David Radzynski: “…went to guest concertmaster a few weeks ago with the Boston Symphony – an orchestra he auditioned for a few years ago. He didn’t advance past the first round at that audition.”
This is a much more speculative comment — the way it is worded is a bit curious (making the first round of an opening that has been holding auditions for several years?) and since winning orchestral auditions at the highest level is so competitive in any case, I would read next to nothing into the line “…he didn’t advance past the first round at that audition.” What does this even mean if it is true: that Radzynski is somehow not a superb violinist, or competitive in the rarified world of top-level orchestras searching for a concertmaster? Perhaps such an implication was not intended.
That’s an astounding indictment of FWM, that “much like many of us, his musical style didn’t mesh well with the MD”
Is it the role of a retiring MD to screw up the sound of the orchestra that took generations to sustain?
It’s Szell’s house, and Welser-Most is just a guest.
Szell died 54 years ago. He has got nothing to do with the orchestra anymore.The orchestra plays better than ever. The orchestra sounds very much like in Szell´s days( FWM follows a similar musical path), but far more refined.And in 50 plus years, the repertoire of course has expanded greatly…The orchestra, the musical world have moved on, for the better. This ridiculous cult of the past…Would you have said in the 60s, the NYPO is Mahler´s orchestra, not Bernstein´s? Laughable.
Christoph Von Dohnanyi said (probably more than once) “We play a good concert, and George Szell gets a great review.”
He said this 30 years ago, yes. Both Dohnanyi and FWM are great conductors in their own right.And very similar in style.
That’s right! Szell’s house….
Oh, puhleez. I grew up listening to Szell, and well remember how the city came to a standstill on news of his death. That said, Szell built the orchestra, but he’s not some eternal deity.
For one thing, the “Szell shell”, that Danish modern-looking enclosure on stage has long been removed. The Skinner organ it was obscuring is restored, and the decor onstage matches the beauty of the hall.
In the meantime, there were the Boulez years, and the controversial brilliance of Maazel, followed by Dohnanyi, and now Welser Most. In a sense the orchestra outlives all its music directors while staying recognizably the Cleveland Orchestra.
Welser-Möst has been MD in Cleveland for almost 22 years and has appointed more than half of the current players. Whatever you may think of him (and I have mixed feelings) it’s his orchestra. Szell was a long time ago.
So true! I grew up with Szell as MD and the superb Kurt Loebel as concertmaster. Disclaimer: I was a classmate of Kurt’s son, David, a fine conductor and now “emeritus” at New England Conservatory.
While Szell conducted, Joseph Gingold was concertmaster. Later in the 60s Raphael Druian was concertmaster and Daniel Majeske was assistant concertmaster. Only when Druian left did Majeske become concertmaster. Following Majeske’s death was a string of other, mostly young, concertmasters. Kurt Loebel sat 2nd or 3rd stand during the 60s, and thereafter, if I remember correctly, until his retirement.
Orchestra members will remember better than me and will hopefully correct me if I’m wrong.
Kurt Loebel was a highly respected member of the first violin section of the Cleveland Orchestra, but he was never concertmaster. The concertmasters during Szell’s tenure were Josef Gingold, Rafael Druian, and Daniel Majeske.
That is quite ironic considering he was hired by the Music Director without any audition for the musicians. I’d be interested to hear more, but I understand if it should be kept polite and quiet for everyone’s sakes!
FWM also got rid of the tenured former principal clarinetist because the MD didn’t like the principal’s style (mainly by not letting him play in concerts that FWM was conducting), so it isn’t just people he hires without audition, it’s with people who were there long before he arrived with his fake Viennese surname.
There were a lot of people who didn’t like Cohen ‘s wayward intonation, and often substandard playing during his final seasons. He stuck out like a sore thumb and was way past his prime.
What happened to the new commenting rules?
“You may not criticise any other person from behind a pseudonym.”
The problem with enforcing such a rule is that many people would like to freely criticize conductors, soloists, Muti, and Gelb, from behind pseudonyms. Yet many of those same people want to treat players in orchestras as a protected species.
He wasn’t just “tenured;” Frank Cohen is a legend and was one of the great clarinetists of his generation. But at the time FWM was pushing him out – after they’d been playing together more than a decade – he was in his late 60s (he’s now 78) and wasn’t the player he had been; nobody is at that age. You can’t really fault FWM for thinking it was time for him to retire.
I believe there was 2-way vituperation in those last years of said clarinetist.
What a shame. We attended the Ein Heldenleben concert last year while in town. His solos were absolutely extraordinary. Hopefully he lands somewhere else soon, but sadly it’s TCO’s loss.
David Radzynski is one of the foremost musicians (and in particular an outstanding violinist) in the world today. Have followed this artiste for sometime, the following was clear to me: he has a characteristic sound that is marked by deep classicism reminding us of the old masters, and yet at the same time there is something different and modern about it. A truly remarkable and unique artiste. Any leading Orchestra that considers itself worth its salt should be proud of having him as its concert master (besides he is a terrific soloist, as is clearly audible in his masterful Heldenleben solo with the legendary Zubin Mehta and also with Cleveland orchestra. (CO).do not remember the conductor’s name). So maybe he found greener pastures…I feel for the CO, what a loss..they have had serious problems it seems attracting serious talents and keeping them.”
Oh really? They take their time filling principal chairs and it sounds like they are very successful.
Indeed. Most recently principal horn Nathaniel Silberschlag and principal clarinet Afendi Yusuf, each peerless.
“By mutual decision,” is never a good sign that things were hunky-dory.
BTW, irrespective of his situation, orchestras need to stop inventing new acronyms for themselves – TCO, CSOA (Chicago). Just Cleveland. Thank you.
CSOA stands for Chicago symphony orchestra association, it’s not the orchestra but its management branch. Plus nobody uses that except the tow lowlifes, CSOA insider and that decrepit rodent that’s venting his/hers frustration here.
This is indeed sad news and an enormous loss for TCO and the city of Cleveland. Considering Mr. Radzynski’s talent is far superior to any of the other associates in the violin section, what now?!
I would think that the “political climate” might be a little different in a college town like Cleveland – and certainly an abrupt transition from his tenure in Israel…..
Cleveland is not really a big college town compared to most places in the US, and is comparatively extremely pro-Israel compared to most other liberal US cities…
What’s the difference between a large pizza, and a viola player?
The pizza will feed a family of 4.
Something in the water in Cleveland?
Next it’ll be the Museum.
You may kill me, but i think Peter Otto would have been a better fit. He should have been promoted after two years as acting concertmaster.Personally, i liked his Heldenleben solo a few years ago better, and his more central European style was a better match. Mr. Otto knew the orchestra in and out, and acted like the primarius of a string quartet, while Radzynski, great as he is, was more like a kind of soloist. And Mr.Otto is equally brilliant, just watch his Walton concerto on Adella.
The community orchestra I play in has had a number of TCO musicians as soloists, and I had the privilege of accompanying Mr. Otto a couple of times. He is an amazing musician and violinist and a truly nice guy.
Hope he returns to Tel-Aviv, where he was very popular and respected.
Incredible musicians and people don’t pass their trials all the time. It’s just not talked about that much.
Unless they played percussion in Kansas City.
The orchestra should have promoted Peter Otto since he was de facto concertmaster after Preucil was fired. Now they’ve lost Otto to Nashville and Radzynski to Boston.
He was often seemingly unprepared, and played with a cooler, brighter sound that didn’t align with the rest of the string sound (which he was there to join, not change). Additionally, he made comments in rehearsals that were either uninformed or better suited to be directed at students. He is wildly talented, but this was not the right fit.
MoreInTheKnowThanYou – or whatever you say your name is…
Are you one of those section members that wanted his job and didn’t get it?
I’ve worked with Radzynski before extensively, and what you’re saying couldn’t be further from the truth.
The most cowardly thing to do is to discredit your colleague on a public format without even giving your real name. This is cowardice at its highest form.
Does this sound like a deliberate attack from one of the string members who wanted the job badly, and did not get it? Just asking. Maybe the person making the comment is Joseph Silverstein or Josef Gingold in the making, who we have never heard of until now (a best kept secret of the midwest” so far? This kind of statement of a former colleague, almost defamatory in its content, and below the belt says something about the character of the person making it. Obviously the TCO does not think so: it says wonderful things about Mr. Radzynski. From what we know of how he was with the legendary Zubin Mehta, it is clear Zubin thought David was a GREAT concertmaster. The way he led both the Cleveland and ISO (as we saw as public) was nothing short of exemplary. I wonder why he left: maybe because of a few disgruntled souls like the “moreinhteknowthanyou” hotshot here? Just asking.
I meant “IPO” NOT “ISO” in my comment above.
The irony of this is, by not naming yourself you are naming yourself!! A simple question beckons: “why indulge in such backbiting? He is gone. It seems you cannot get over the fact, he is a GREAT concertmaster, and people are praising him. SAD!
You don’t quite get it: one can be a great concertmaster and still not be the right fit for a particular orchestra. In these positions, one size does not fit all.
While I don’t presume to know the identity of “Moreintheknow”, I will say that the only person I know that has personally shared this negative opinion of David is a former TCO sub who hasn’t passed the first round anytime she has auditioned there. The TCO violinists I’ve spoken to have only said good things about David.
Once again… what happened to the new commenting rules?
“You may not criticise any other person from behind a pseudonym.”
Cleveland also lost Peter Otto, who as First Associate CM was essentially acting CM until DR joined. So down 2 top violinists in recent times. Management should find a replacement for FWM soon. I doubt they’ll be able to contain this fallout very long. Seems unlikely that a top CM contender isn’t going to risk Cleveland with FWM there if David didn’t get tenure due to a difference of style.
At a salary that’s highest paid concertmaster in the world, (according to the editor of this news site) in a metro area that’s extremely affordable, and the opportunity to lead one of the world’s finest orchestras, TCO will have folks lined up for a mile looking to win the job. Plus the job’s venue is a national treasure.
That double negative in your last sentence does not make much sense.
The Jobs’s venue is Severance Music Center, the 93 year old home of TCO. The summer venue, Blossom Music Center is a treasure as well. It’s located in a US National Park.
THIS is dreadful news. Under what circumstances would TCO allow such a loss?! Surely losing a stellar talent such as David sends a strong message that FWM has long been battling illnesses which are far more challenging and disruptive than cancer.
What’s intersting to me is: Who does the CM represent? The MD or the orchestra? I guess it varies by orchestra and their structure. In the London orchestras or Berlin Phil, the MD doesn’t select the CM; the musicians do. Same in Vienna, which has no MD.
FWM has three more years in Cleveland, so my question is whether it should be him or the orchestra who decides who occupies this position. I guess it’s the MD but I could see an orchestra insisting that it be their call. And in this case FWM presumably brought him in, so is the one to see him out.
In Cleveland, the music director has complete authority over hiring and tenure. Audition committees are purely advisory. For concertmaster specifically, the MD can hire without an audition.
The hiring process is in the CBA so the musicians can’t “insist” on any changes. They would have to be bargained.
Some orchestras don’t allow outgoing MDs to make hiring decisions (at least in their last season), but I don’t think that’s the case in Cleveland.
The MD of TCO is a unique position in the classical music world, because FwM has final say on tenure. No other MD has that power.
GregT, this is not true. In both of the American orchestras where I’ve been a full member, the MD had full authority when it came to bestowing or denying tenure. I think this is rather the norm in major American orchestras. I can’t speak for European orchestras.
Not true.MTT in San Francisco and Muti in Philly and Chicago had the same power.
In an interview with the CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, which is on YouTube, FWM said that he is the only MD that has final and sole tenure authority of any major orchestra.
I’d think tenuring such an important position and costly young talent at the end of your term would seem in poor form to a MD. I don’t believe this to be anyone’s fault but timing in an individual’s life and an institution’s growing pains into its next era.
The fact, that such a brilliant concertmaster as David Radzynski was forced to leave the Cleveland Orchestra casts an unpleasant shadow on this organization.
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
Everyone must remember that there is no single, foundational line or qualitative level that ensures tenure in any position at any orchestra. The reality is that whatever quality gets you hired in Orchestra A can easily be the identical thing that gets you fired from Orchestra B.
These choices are necessarily idiosyncratic and will not be logical, sensible, or comprehensible to outsiders. Almost everyone here is Monday-morning quarterbacking. The few authentically informed here clearly understand the common sense of the above statement.