In Tuesday’s (5/17) New York Times, Daniel J. Wakin writes, “Every year foreign orchestras with exotic or impressive-sounding names crisscross the country. They follow grueling routes and play in arts centers, small theaters and school auditoriums in places like Pembroke, N.C., and Modesto, Calif. But they are not always what they seem. The Dublin Philharmonic that played two years ago in nearly 50 towns? Mostly Bulgarians. The Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra that toured the United States last year? Largely freelancers. The ‘Tschaikowski’ St. Petersburg State Orchestra, which is scheduled for a major American tour next year? Even the man advertised as its principal guest conductor said he had never heard of it. A close look at these groups shows a pattern of creative marketing—even truth shading—concerning credentials and identities. … A major force in bringing in these orchestras is Columbia Artists Management Inc., one of the oldest and most prestigious classical music agencies. … In a telephone interview, Ronald A. Wilford, Columbia’s chairman, denied that misrepresentations had occurred, saying that the agency relied on the orchestras it brings in for information about their musicians. … Orchestras typically have shifting personnel in a world of musicians who easily cross borders, he added.”
Posted May 18, 2011
