Just in: Esa-Pekka partner quits San Fran Symph
NewsSan Francisco Symphony’s Chief Artistic Officer, Phillippa Cole, is joining the Opus 3 agency as Senior Vice President.
Previously at the LA Phil, she formed a close partnership with Esa-Pekka Salonen in San Francisco. She ‘will return on a part-time contract basis in the fall to provide artistic planning support for all of Esa-Pekka’s programs through the end of the 24-25 season,’ says an orchestra statment.
CEO Matthew Spivey adds: ‘Her partnership with Esa-Pekka and so many other remarkable artists has elevated our artistic impact and made San Francisco a destination for creative minds everywhere. Her commitment and enthusiasm are infectious and her relationships among artists, orchestra and chorus musicians, staff, board, and community partners have strengthened our organization in countless ways.’
? . . . . Salonen hasn’t been in S.F. long enough to have made such a highly espoused impact.
I think EPS would tell you that it is a destination… where creative minds and artistic planning go to die.
attitude doesn’t seem BEATIFIC at all!
The rats are jumping ship.
What is happening to the administration of one of the world’s greatest orchestras? Why can’t it just be about the music? Human frailties interfere!
Admins have ALWAYS been at the pinnacle of the cesspool and are the CAUSE of why orchestras “can’t be just about the music”. That, to us, would be a dream made in heaven as the admins won’t be the usual incompetent, overpaid folks congregating there to ruin us.
Having lived in the S.F. Bay Area from pretty much all of my life, I would hardly consider the S.F.S. to be one of the world’s greatest orchestras. The string section is decent, but not a whole lot more than that. I find the strings to be far better in L.A., but some of that may have to do with the differences in the two halls. String players in L.A. can pick up studio work on the side.
Why? Curating which movie-night music to perform is an art that can transcend the usual John Williams fare.
There is so much potential for growth and exploration, for example, the San Francisco symphony can be pioneers in playing music to Netflix TV series, that audience members can binge watch on a cinema-size HD screen for 24 hours straight, with an orchestration of the theme to “Succession” being collaboration with a living composer, or every Thursday night when a new episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race drops, to play orchestrated pop music for the lip sync elimination contest.
Isn’t that precisely the sort of multi-media, high tech, artistic partnership that Salonen envisioned for San Francisco?
No.
So much untapped synergies in the Bay Area, marijuana being legal in California, and there being tens of thousands of students in Berkeley and Stanford and SF, they could have Bring Your Own Bong, come in drag, midnight performances to the Rocky Horror Picture Show…
That’s the 60’s…already been done.
Phillippa Cole is one of the best in the business! Can’t wait to see what artists she attracts to Opus 3.
Some of the comments I’m reading here are precisely why orchestras are falling like dominoes. It can never be “just about the music.” It’s also about bricks and mortar and paying the bills and putting backsides in seats. Most of the ill-socialized ex-prodigies who fill the stage don’t understand this, and are perpetually at war with their admins, who are the reason they have a job in the first place.
Based on the SF situation, the talent behind all the fund raising at the LA Phil during the Salonen period was Deborah Borda. He didn’t have the same in SF. This is the problem with music directors stretched too thin and not concentrating on one major job. They don’t become part of the fabric of the culture of the city where they hold a key position. Serge Koussevitzky understood that in Boston and was the key find raiser with the BSO and he also was able to fund new music both on his own and with funds he derived through his efforts, some of which was glad handling little old ladies. (Max Bialystock reference) If these orchestras are to remain healthy, fund raising is key and the Music Director is the face of the orchestra. If he does not show up at events, including fund raisers in wealthy donor homes, then he/she has failed in part of their role. Selling tickets is one thing, but the real money is raised behind the scenes.
I’d like to see some analysis of how the creation of such positions and staffing have impacted programming and orchestra budgets. Why is the Music Director not doing the job?