“The Asheville Symphony is a part-time orchestra,” reports Matt Peikin on Tuesday (10/17) at Blue Ridge Public Radio (western North Carolina) in the first of a two-part series on the market for orchestra conductors. “So it’s a little stunning to learn how many people applied to become the orchestra’s next music director: 437…. Now there are six finalists, each of whom is conducting one concert on this season’s calendar. The first [Rei Hotoda] is Oct. 21…. ‘What we’re seeing in applications today is a greater diversity among the applicants,’ [Asheville Symphony Executive Director David] Whitehill said. ‘It’s conductor as teacher, conductor as advocate, conductor as maverick, conductor as risk-taker, conductor as genre-bender.’ … Today, orchestras scout and research online before ever interviewing anyone…. Choosing a music director has grown so complex the League of American Orchestras has a 60-page handbook to guide orchestras through every step and consideration. One is preparing board members … how to begin assessing the work of a conductor. ‘It’s not like listening to an audition of a violinist or trumpet player,’ … said Jesse Rosen, president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras. ‘It’s not always evident what’s making it go,’ he added. ‘There’s a little mystery to the whole thing.’ ” Find more about the League’s Music Director Search Handbook here.
Posted October 18, 2017
