Philly reels as NY Phil grabs CEO
OrchestrasThe Philadelphia Orchestra are putting a brave face on the almost-instant departure of CEO Matias Tarnopolsky to head up the New York Philharmonic. Tarnopolsky leaves in less than a month, no time at all to find a replacement.
Philly board sources say that have given themselves three-four months to make an appointment and there is already a very short list of people they want to interview. That’s a good start.
But the move has left Philly and its conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin looking like Second Hand Rose, easily dumped when the Big Apple flashes its cash. That’s not good for image or morale.
The next Philly chief will have a mountain to climb.
They’re fine. So many in the business wouldn’t have wanted to go to NYPhil over Philly – especially in that position. Philly has an awesome Music Director, an incredible orchestra and not the recent crazy drama like NYPhil.
I think Gary Ginstling is available
This is definitely four paragraphs’ worth of typing.
It may leave Philly in a bind in the short-term, but there is no reason to think this is a long-term disaster for Philadelphia. As a long-time concert-goer in Philly, I’m glad to see this news. I haven’t been happy with all of the directions in which the team of Matias and Yannick have taken the Orchestra.
I consider it rather unlikely that those behind the scenes — board chair Mueller or Yannick — were taken very much by surprise at this date, and I suspect, although I didn’t see any evidence of it, that the musicians’ Members’ Committee was apprised perhaps before we went on tour to China at the end of October. I think my face is just resting calmly, no need for bravery. Philadelphia being between New York and Washington has resulted in a bit of a leftover complex for at least the past 70-100 years, but the Orchestra has been one of the superlative feathers in the cap. Not sure what mountain you might be referring to in your last sentence.
Matias’s legacy of promoting wokeness over musical integrity was becoming an issue. If he wants to chase the money that’s up to him but I believe Philly will be better off in the long term. The orchestra has never sounded better and morale will be just fine.
So the CEO discounted “musical integrity” but the “orchestra has never sounded better”?
Make it make sense.
Don’t be disingenuous. The programming and the playing are two different things, and their qualities are determined by different people. It’s to the credit of the musicians that the playing is better than ever even when the programming choices often lack “musical integrity”.
“Musical integrity,” sounds like a code for “white supremacy,” especially when it comes to the repertoire, guest artists and personnel. Glad that Philly has led the way with a (somewhat) more enlightened, 21st century approach.
It’s sometimes difficult to tell whether posts like this are serious or satire. If you’re actually serious, well then good luck, as “more enlightened” programming leads to empty seats. Keep it up long enough and the orchestra itself won’t be around anymore either.
Well, Dudamel is much better than Nezet-Seguin.
They’re both mid.
IMHO Philly gets too woke to the snapping point. Some may see that as catchy & trendy, IDK. It’s POA’s orchestra… they could do whatever they want.
Nevertheless, re: comment on Yannick. Let’s say I have attended my share of magnificent orchestra concerts for decades, made me feeling so blessed that I could just die tomorrow without regret. None of such involve Yannick nor The Dude.