Archive - 2013

1
Telling It Like It Is – An interview with Julie Landsman
2
The Memphis Model & the Director of Innovations
3
Wu Man and Her Pipa
4
What’s in a Fludde?
5
MacArthur Foundation strikes out again
6
Paul Boulian: The Economic Reality of Orchestras
7
No good news from the Northern Front (with update)
8
Did You Mean to Do That? — A Traveler’s Reflections
9
New York Philharmonic Young Peoples’ Concerts
10
Why not try negotiating? (with update)

Telling It Like It Is – An interview with Julie Landsman

Julie Landsman, French hornist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for 25 years until her retirement in 2010, is the subject of a wonderful interview in Allegro, the  magazine of AFM local 802.  She explains how she developed her career plan: My first horn teacher was Mr. Howard Howard – yes that is his actual name![…]

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The Memphis Model & the Director of Innovations

A few years back, the Memphis Symphony was suffering a misunderstanding about their operational structure that became known as “the Memphis model.” Musicians around the country were under the impression that Memphis musicians were working in the office as part of their musician contracts — a “service conversion” situation. When I went to investigate, I[…]

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Wu Man and Her Pipa

The Hartford Symphony had opening night concerts this past Friday and Saturday, featuring our beautiful Austin organ with a Bach Toccata (we were joined by the Connecticut Youth Orchestra) and the Saint Saens Organ Symphony. But in between we played the Lou Harrison concerto for pipa and string orchestra, featuring Wu Man. It was a[…]

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What’s in a Fludde?

One of the most creative and inventive films I’ve seen recently was Wes Anderson’s 2012 Moonrise Kingdom, with all the strange oddities of style, camera angles, and storyline that make this director’s work so compelling and so memorable.

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MacArthur Foundation strikes out again

Those who’ve followed my various blogs over the years (at least I’m hoping it’s “those” and not “him or her”) know that the MacArthur Foundation Fellows Program (aka the “Genius Awards”) is a hot button for me. They recently pushed it again with the selection of pianist Jeremy Denk. To quote from the MacArthur Foundation[…]

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Paul Boulian: The Economic Reality of Orchestras

For this Editor’s Choice I decided to look back at some interviews we recorded in years past. There are some real gems here. The one I chose to feature this time around is a conversation between Paul Boulian and Greg Sandow discussing the economic reality of orchestras. Though it was recorded in February 2009, it[…]

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No good news from the Northern Front (with update)

Today is what most observers are assuming is the deadline for a settlement in Minnesota that will keep Osmo Vänskä and the November Carnegie concerts in the picture. It doesn’t appear that negotiations are going well, though. One indication of that is the management offer of last week, made with great public fanfare and certainly[…]

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Did You Mean to Do That? — A Traveler’s Reflections

I love sitting in studio classes, experiencing that unique relationship between a master teacher and a student. It always feels like a privilege to hear and see the trust that has been generated and to feel the intensity of the learning and teaching model.

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New York Philharmonic Young Peoples’ Concerts

In 2009 I attended a New York Philharmonic Young Peoples’ Concert, conducted by my friend and colleague Delta David Gier, and was exceedingly impressed by the quality of the concert — it’s concept, execution, script, dancing, repertoire choices, etc., but mostly by how incredibly good it was. I asked David Gier and Tom Dulack, the[…]

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Why not try negotiating? (with update)

It’s clear that crunch time is coming on the Northern Front (aka the Minnesota orchestra labor “negotiations”). The board has said that they’re willing to indefinitely delay the unveiling of their shiny new $50 million toy lobby, to see the prospect of ever going back to Carnegie Hall evaporate, and to watch Vänskä walk. The[…]

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