Three Generations Of Conductors Walk Into A Bar…

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No, this isn’t a joke; quite the opposite in fact. Instead, it’s a Facebook Live event happening this afternoon at 12 noon ET and hosted by Phoenix Symphony music director Tito Muñoz.

Three generations of American conductors/musicians/leaders converge in a Facebook Live conversation to share their personal experiences during the current pandemic, and what they may foresee for the future of our industry. The panel includes:

  • Marin Alsop
  • Leonard Slatkin
  • Michael Tilson Thomas
  • Tito Muñoz
  • Teddy Abrams
  • Maya Miro Johnson (student at the Curtis Institute of Music)
  • Benjamin Wenzelberg (student at Harvard University)

I noticed the event on Tito’s wall and reached out for some more info. Apparently, it started as somewhat of a casual idea that grew into a powerhouse of a guestlist.

“I’m very excited to invite these amazing musicians and wonderful people to join me in this discussion,” said Tito. “We have all been connected with each other in the past in different ways – either as mentors, colleagues, classmates, or mentees – and it’s very unusual for us to all be in the same room at the same time. I look forward to sharing with and learning from all of these brilliant people, and to talk about what this collective pandemic experience means to each of us.”

I’m bummed that I have meetings during the event but according to Tito, it may be available for streaming after the fact. The final decision will be made by participants at the end of the session.

So, if you’re watching live, be sure to tell the guests they should make it available 😉

Join The Event

About Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house.

I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why.

In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu.

For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

View all posts by Drew McManus | Website

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