In Sunday’s (11/20) South China Morning Post, Oliver Chou writes, “One of the conductors vying for the post of artistic director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has scooped a top international award. Jaap van Zweden, music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and one of the world’s leading conductors, was named Musical America’s Conductor of the Year 2012 two weeks before beginning a concert series with the Hong Kong Philharmonic last Friday. … The maestro, 51, is one of a dozen candidates aiming to succeed Edo de Waart as leader of Hong Kong’s top orchestra. Though it has not been formally announced, they are auditioning by acting as guest conductors for major orchestral works. … Van Zweden has a long association with de Waart. He was concertmaster of the Concertgebouw orchestra in Amsterdam for 16 years, with which de Waart guest-conducted and recorded. In 2004, he succeeded de Waart as music chief of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. … ‘I think there is an advantage for me to work at an orchestra previously led by Edo, although we are totally different,’ Van Zweden said. ‘Edo is more an orchestra-builder, and I am more on the performance side.’ ”
Photo courtesy Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Posted November 21, 2011
