Minnesota Orchestra loses its chief

Minnesota Orchestra loses its chief

News

norman lebrecht

June 30, 2024

The Minnesota Orchestra’s president and CEO has jumped ship.

Michelle Miller Burns, who has led the orchestra since 2018 and delivered a smooth change of music director, has been made CEO and president of the Dallas Symphony, where she used to work before.

She succeeds Kim Noltemy, who is heading to the turbulent LA Phil.

Burns, 55, said that Dallas ‘feels like hom to my husband and me.’

More here.

Comments

  • V. Lind says:

    Is six years that seem to have stabilised a sometime turbulent ship jumping from it, especially if it means a return home?

  • Mark Decker says:

    We are looking forward to what new ideas she brings.

  • Eric Wright says:

    I’m trying to imagine the change in scenery from Minneapolis to Dallas.

    Anyone who needs to buy cold weather clothing (or sell hot weather clothing) should contact her ASAP!

  • Carl says:

    So she’s going from a progressive, forward-looking state that supports the arts and education to a right-wing quasi-theocracy where people walking around with loaded weapons and wear cowboy hats as standard business dress? Oh, and it’s 100 degrees F for several months of the year. OK, got it.

    • V. Lind says:

      Oddly enough, they seem to have managed to squeak out the odd bit of high art. The Houston Opera Porgy and Bess is one of the best things I have ever seen — and heard — on a stage. (I’m less enthusiastic about their ballet company, but in fairness have seen it rarely).

      As an academic, items in which I was interested were routinely sourced to universities in Texas. Their institutions hold some major literary collections.

      It’s not quite all rodeos and oil, though these apparently provide the revenues to support what are doubtless minority interests.

      • Don Ciccio says:

        Reality check. In every country in this world classical music is a minority interest. Yes, including Germany and Austria, as much as they pretend that it is not so.

        Yes, depending on the country, or on the places within a certain country, this minority may be larger or smaller. But it is always a minority.

      • Tiredofitall says:

        I wouldn’t call Porgy and Bess “progressive”, no matter how well performed.

        Productions of Porgy provide employment for many talented singers, but it remains problematic and offensive to many African Americans.

        I admire Porgy and Bess as I admire Madama Butterfly, but I recognize that society may have moved on.

      • Jack says:

        Wasn’t Houston’s Porgy — the one that was made into a record album — done something like forty years ago?

    • DontCAmyTX says:

      So cowboy hats are actually very versatile and flattering when chosen correctly. But more importantly, Texas has a huge population, as diverse as any other. The sound bites and headlines give a narrow view into the lives of Texans so please keep your bias in check. Oh if you haven’t seen them, Dallas symphony is exquisite! Balanced programming, excellent musicianship, and a well behaved audience.

  • Kyle Wiedmeyer says:

    Disregarding the quality of either orchestra, if I had to choose to live in Minneapolis or Dallas, well…I probably wouldn’t choose Dallas.

    • Don Ciccio says:

      Well, you cannot disregard the quality of the orchestra if you truly love music. Perhaps the Dallas and Minnesota orchestras are pretty well matched, but Dallas has the much more interesting music director (yes, I heard both of them live).

      • Jack says:

        Heard Dallas at Bravo Vail two weeks ago. With Luisi. Fine concert (Mahler 5 & Mozart 9 with Trifonov), but I sure wouldn’t move to Dallas because of him/them.

  • Michael says:

    …good luck to her…but going to were you have been…rarely works out…

  • Doug says:

    Question, is it yet a valid criterion to judge the status of an orchestra by how fast (or slowly) the administrative revolving doors spin?

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