Mäkelä makes first appointment at Chicago Symphony
OrchestrasThe Chicago Symphony Orchestra has appointed a Venezuelan violinist, Gabriela Lara, to the first violin section. Gabriela was rotating concertmaster of the CSO’s Civic Orchestra of Chicago until a year ago, when she joined the Milwaukee Symphony’s second violins.
She won the Chicago audition some weeks ago and is the first CSO musician appointed by incoming music director Klaus Mäkelä, who was present at the audition.
I wonder if KM has even heard her play yet?
Makela was in attendance at the audition when she was hired, and his approval was required for the appointment.
No he asked her to perform archery so proper “bow” technique could be assessed
Mäkelä is now responsible for the auditions of FOUR orchestras, simultaneously. The whole situation is a fraud.
Gorgeous and talented. What’s not to love?
Please clarify for me: was she appointed by the orchestra (as I suspect) or Makala?
The audition committee (if that’s what you mean by “the orchestra”) cannot appoint anyone without the MD’s approval and vice versa. CSO auditions are Mäkelä’s responsibility since he was appointed MD designate. He presided over both cello and violin finals on October 13&14, Gabriela Lara being the only hire for the ten available positions. I hope that answers your question.
Your suspicions are entirely unfounded. Makela was in attendance at the audition, and per the CSO contract his approval was required for her to be hired.
First round was in March, second and final were in October. Same for the cello auditions, which ended with no hire. No reason to delay both auditions 7 months unless to align with a specific someone’s schedule.
Also, from the CSO’s mini interview with Ms Lara:
“…This mental clarity served her well during the final audition, when Mäkelä requested to work individually with her. During their time together, Lara played each excerpt again, and Mäkelä gave “very specific” notes reminiscent of a master class or rehearsal. Although she had never experienced an audition like this, Lara feels that the one-on-one attention helped her to demonstrate her range “as a whole musician,” instead of only delivering “an end product.””
It does seem like he was there! You could go on and conspire whether she’s lying, but… really?
So the ONLY person they hired through an eight-month audition process for TEN vacancies for two instruments is a Venezuelan woman that played in CSO’s Civic Orchestra of Chicago and went to Chicago College of Performing Arts for her bachelor’s degree? And who was her teacher there?
CSO is so screwed LOL
No hires happen all the time. Especially for the highest level. Hate to break it to you. She also won a position in Milwaukee before the CSO, absolutely a professional level player. And just as membership in Berlin or Vienna’s academy is very useful for the eventual audition, her experience as a fellow likely gave her exactly the tools that might be needed to win the CSO audition.
Why are you thinking it remarkable that: the CSO is selective, that she is Venezuelan, a woman, and a former member of Civic (as are many past and present CSO musicians)? She was taught here by Almita Vamos, the most prominent teacher of young violinists in the Chicago area. And by being selective, how is the CSO screwed? What exactly is the point of your post?
What happened — filling only 1 out of 10 tutti positions with the only hire awarded to a graduate of a mediocre school who already has some connections to the orchestra — does not suggest selectivity but dysfunction.
Why did she get individual, one-on-one attention from Mäkelä?
This seems pretty similar to how occasionally a principal will give advice or a lesson to a finalist after the audition. Not sure how this is controversial
After the final, vote was taken, only Gabriela and another finalist received enough votes to be hired. Makela asked to have them play again and worked with them on certain excertps to see how they would react, show flexibility etc., after further discussion only Gabriela was hired. Same thing happened with the cellos, two of the 5 superfinalists were called back on stage but it resulted in no hire. This process was certainly new and unusual but it clearly showed us something, the difference between someone who perfected the art of “taking auditions” vs someone who was well rounded flexible musician with the skill to react under stress.
Unless you have some kind of screened scenario going on it makes sense to see if the candidate can respond to direction and to assess the potential rapport if any. The fact that it’s with Plasticpants is neither here nor there, or in this case, neither here nor in three other places simultaneously.
My question is, is it allowed that one of the audition committee members, specially the MD designate to give an indivisual coaching session to a specific candidates just before the audition? It seems like against the audition fairness. Please educate me.
It sounds to me like this was during the audition, not a coaching before. It’s not unheard of in the finals for a conductor to suggest they play something differently. I’ve had a couple of final rounds that felt like coachings. My spouse had a note given to them from the principal between rounds on a couple of things to fix. Committees want to hear the candidates demonstrate that they can fix things quickly and be flexible on the spot, it’s a sign of a good audition, not a sign of something corrupt.
By her wording I believe it was after the audition.
Read! It was “during the final audition”. Yes, the audition committee or the MD can always ask the candidate to play various excerpts a particular way or change this or that. That’s part of an audition!
I was not there, but from Bravo’s comment, it would appear that the one-on-one attention took place at the audition, not prior to it. Though it sounds a bit like showboating on KM’s part if he likes to do a master class at auditions, why not? I have been on audition committees where the MD did something like that though maybe not to the same degree. As I understood it the intent was to determine whether the applicant could be flexible in their approach. Defensiveness or ‘attitude’ did not go over well. Congrats to Ms Lara!
The MD designate most assuredly did not give a private lesson before the audition. “This mental clarity served her well during the final audition, when Mäkelä requested to work individually with her.” During the audition, not before it.
Makela, like Barenboim back in the day, engages the auditioners, seeing if they have the flexibility to play differently to meet his requests. Perhaps the candidate is asked to play more lightly, to phrase a line in a certain way, to emphasize a particular rhythm. It is very important that a musician in an orchestra can manage this. All too often, a candidate has a certain way of playing that works for them, but cannot alter it to achieve a conductor’s vision.
Well said. I’m sure that this candidate is well trained and well qualified.
Not sure why all this bashing is going on.
Also, talented students come to the principals of Big Orchestras to learn from the best. It’s no surprise when a person who has trained in a certain style is picked by the orchestra they emulate
Who gives thumbs down to these strictly factual responses to questions of fact?? And why??
The folks whose entire existence on these comment pages would be moot of they’d have to stick to facts.
Losers.
What is a “remotely incoming music director”?
What is a “remotely incoming music director?”
Mäkelä bashing has become an Olympic sport for some people. It’s tiresome, try something more positive.
Seriously!
Makela promoting has become an Olympic sport for some people. It’s tiresome; try something more positive for those other than Makela.
amen. it can only be envy fed by the 24-7 media express. a half-century ago, no one would have bothered. and for all you makela-bashers, what age will he have to reach before you turn your attention to someone younger and equally as talented? 30? 40? 80? enough already.
What is a “remotely incoming music director”?
Why so much hate…. The toxicity in the comments section is to be expected, but still unbelievable.
I agree. I am at a total loss to understand this antipathy. As Guest says, it’s toxic.
I admit that I am in the UK and have no direct experience of Makela in any role.
I do find it hard to understand that there are so many, professing a love for the sublime world of classical music making, can carry such deeply held antagonisms, even hatred.
It’s very sad.
Congratulations!!!
The well-oiled, Karajan-esque KM is of course The Ideal Main Subject, in case the author decides to do so, to come up with an updated 2.0 edition of ‘The Maestro Myth: Great Conductors in Pursuit of Power’ originally from 1991.
Mr. Lebrecht, the floor is entirely vours. Please DO IT.
Congratulations for your appointment to one of the world’s greatest orchestras and with the world’s most talented young conductors! Bravissimo maestra!
Just mention KM and facts, logic or common sense become irrelevant for some.
…down the spiral KM hole the CSO will go…