“It’s official,” writes Jeremy Eichler in Sunday’s (9/25) Boston Globe. “James Levine’s name has been taken off the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s logo, his conducting chairs packed into storage closets. The post-Levine era has begun. As the BSO, which opens its new season on Friday, sets out on its search for the next music director, questions have been swirling about the process itself and what the public can expect.” Eichler discusses several “nuts and bolts” questions about music director searches. “Big orchestras still routinely keep searches secret, even internally. … Interestingly, many smaller orchestras and regional groups have been taking the opposite approach, inviting the public to participate actively in the selection process, with focus groups and the like. Jesse Rosen, president of the League of American Orchestras, sees this as a national trend. ‘It’s become a whole way of enlivening a season as people are eager to see the next candidate, fill out their form, and figure out who the next music director is going to be,’ he said. … The committee consists of five trustees (Edmund Kelly, Stephen B. Kay, Robert O’Block, Paul Buttenwieser, and Joyce Linde); five musicians ([Edward] Gazouleas, [James] Sommerville, Malcolm Lowe, Jason Horowitz, and Robert Sheena); and two BSO executives ([managing director Mark] Volpe and artistic administrator Anthony Fogg).”
Posted September 26, 2011
