“This fall marks the 177th season of a renowned American institution: the New York Philharmonic,” reports Lesley Stahl on Sunday’s (10/28) CBS 60 Minutes. It is also the orchestra’s first season under its new music director, “a surprise pick, a Dutchman with a hard-to-pronounce name: Jaap van Zweden. Last month, New York audiences got a chance to meet the new maestro…. In a world of maestros known for healthy egos and big personalities, 57-year-old Jaap van Zweden is no exception. With his intense focus, and some successful visits as a guest conductor, he managed to rise to the top of the list.” In the interview, van Zweden speaks about his upbringing in Amsterdam; becoming concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at 19; a meeting with Leonard Bernstein that made him decide to take up conducting; serving as music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra from 2008 to 2018; his rehearsal methods; his efforts to recruit Deborah Borda to become executive director of the New York Philharmonic; and his son Benjamin, who has autism, and the foundation he and his wife, Aaltje, run that offers music therapy to autistic children in the Netherlands.
Posted October 30, 2018
