Long Yu gives up an orchestra
NewsThe well-connected Chinese conductor has long been in charge of the country’s three best funded orchestras in Beijing Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Last night he made it known he is giving up the Guangzhou Symphony – or, rather, handing it over to a protégé.
Long Yu said: ‘After exactly 20 years as Music Director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, it brings me immense pride to announce that conductor Huang Yi will be take over the baton next season. It has been one of the great joys of my career to watch the GSO develop into one of China’s most artistically superb and vibrant orchestral institutions. I will remain as the GSO’s honorary Music Director.’
Long Yu is in the Musician’s Desk Reference (ed. 2023):
Started career in the right place at the right time. Master networker. Driven domestically in one of many Rolls-Royces. Talent of mediocre quality. Conductor.
Damn right, Yu Long is a terrible conductor. All women conductors are far superior over Yu Long. Vanessa Benelli Mosell can run circles around Yu Long.
Huang is his god son – he makes sure everything is still under his control
Long Yu is a conductor of only average talent who owed his phenomenal rise to political connections through a relative very close to the highest ranks in the communist party. He controls far too much of China’s orchestral music and is clearly reluctant to give up any of that control. As far as the Guangzhou Symphony’s development is concerned, he is also too quick to praise himself. I believe the orchestra’s real development occurred in the late 1990s when Hong Kong’s excellent conductor Yip Wing-sie was first its Principal Conductor and then its Music Director. Long Yu took over and the coffers suddenly opened for it to start working with top musicians and conductors, as well as to tour extensively to important musical centers, thereby enhancing the orchestra’s reputation and not incidentally his own. Through his control, he keeps away at least one Chinese-born conductor who is considerably more talented but whose career has been primarily with orchestras and opera in the west.
Even Vanessa Benelli Mosell is a far better conductor than Yu Long! Chinese orchestras would be much better off playing under her baton. She delivers far superior performances.
Is he consciously modelling himself on The Donald in this photo?