“When James Freeman founded a new music group in 1988, the name he chose might have suggested a specific date of expiry: Orchestra 2001,” writes Peter Dobrin in Thursday’s (9/17) Philadelphia Inquirer. “Orchestra 2001 is still here, and is still presenting 20th—and now 21st century—art music…. Freeman has retired, and … a search committee considered 70 potential Freeman successors and winnowed the list to four finalists, each of whom takes a program this season. The first arrives this weekend: Jayce Ogren, 36, a Brooklyn conductor…. The board will decide in April. ‘A primary criterion is musical ability,’ says [board vice president Jean] Dowdall, ‘but … other criteria include leadership, the ability to articulate a vision and engage others … and personal qualities like communication skills and approachability.’ … Later in the season conductors Timothy Weiss, Ryan McAdams, and Jeffrey Milarsky will also lead the ensemble…. With four strong candidates, all slightly different specialist’s specialists, it’s easy to imagine Orchestra 2001 benefiting from each. In fact, it may. Says [composer Andrew Rudin, board member and interim artistic coordinator], in a twist not found in many other talent searches: ‘No matter who becomes artistic director, we hope to maintain relationships with all four.’ ”
Posted September 18, 2015
