In Sunday’s (3/27) Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Mark Kanny writes, “Reputation and recommendations aren’t enough. Recordings aren’t sufficient, either. For the people responsible for bring the best in performing arts to Pittsburgh, there’s no substitute for the live experience. That’s why Pittsburgh’s artistic leaders spend one to three months a year on the road looking for new talent to delight audiences at home.” Bob Moir, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s vice president for artistic planning, says “When I go to check out a conductor, sometimes I look at them from the point of view: Am I enjoying this concert? But also: do I think our orchestra would appreciate having this man or woman on the podium for a week?” Moir made a scouting trip to the Chicago Symphony in 2003 to hear an up-and-coming conductor named Manfred Honeck. “The rest is history that is still unfolding. Honeck was named music director in January 2007 and began his tenure in September 2008. He’ll be music director here until at least 2016. Artistic scouting trips involve much more than sitting in a seat in a theater or concert hall. Days are filled with meetings and networking. Moir’s trips often involve advance work for tours, meetings with artists and/or their agents, as well as concerts.”
Posted March 28, 2011
