Music Directors
Okay, Let’s Talk About MTT
Wed, Oct 10, 2014
by Drew McManus
In case you’ve been buried under a mountain of work lately, you’ve probably seen the hubbub surrounding Michael Tilson Thomas’ (MTT) encounter with a mother and eight year old child during a 10/17/2014 performance with the New World Symphony. In short, there’s plenty of talk about whether MTT acted appropriately and accounts of the actual
Are We Witnessing The Birth Of Music Director Activism?
Thu, Sep 9, 2014
by Drew McManus
In an interesting twist to the ongoing Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, it appears that the orchestra’s primary conductors (Music Director Robert Spano and Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles) have decided to become involved via a joint letter to ASO’s stakeholders (board, management, and musicians) outlining the pair’s views on the
Conductors Are To Waiters As Composers Are To What?
Mon, Jun 6, 2014
by Drew McManus
The 11/29/2013 edition of BBC News published an article by Alison Feeney-Hart where she interviewed conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen and asked about his tips for becoming a great conductor. By and large, Salonen’s advice is superb; it’s not only grounded but downright populist when compared to the traditional Maestro Mystique. Having said that, there was one
Another 10 Year Anniversary & Muñoz Gets Phoenix
Mon, Feb 2, 2014
by Drew McManus
I want to take a moment to highlight the 10 year anniversary for Joe Patti’s excellent culture blog, Butts In The Seats; Musings on Practical Solutions For Arts Management. I was enormously pleased when Joe decided to include his blog among the Inside The Arts ranks and with nearly 1,500 posts it is one of
Maestragen
Thu, Nov 11, 2013
by Drew McManus
Concertmaster Frank Almond posted a thought provoking article on 11/6/2013 on the topic of women conductors. Written from his perspective of someone in the front row of orchestra musician trenches, he provides some much needed clarity on the topic. You may wonder what angle could possibly be missing from the avalanche of words spilled (and
