“The Sydney Symphony Orchestra has moved into ‘high gear’ in its international search to find a top-level replacement for Chief Conductor and Artistic Director David Robertson, who will depart at the end of next year,” writes Shona Martyn in Wednesday’s (7/18) Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). “With … a replacement possibly not available to start until 2022, the orchestra’s new chief executive, Emma Dunch, has unveiled a cunning solution as part of the 2019 season. Four ‘conducting visionaries’—Robertson, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Simone Young and Donald Runnicles—have each been signed for the next three years, presenting programs of their favourite works. ‘We have to find the person with the perfect chemistry for our SSO … you don’t want to recruit by speed dating,’ says Dunch…. The orchestra will effectively be reverse-auditioning conductors they encounter … when they tour Europe later this year. The four conductors will be able to design their own programs, which will be rolled out over three years in what Dunch believes is an initiative unique to Sydney…. During his final year [as music director in 2019], Robertson will conduct the ‘massive works’ he has long wanted to program including Britten’s Peter Grimes.”
Posted July 19, 2018
