Polyphonic Blog
OnCampus Blog
OnCampus TV
Vlog
Webinars
Articles
Resources
All Articles
Foundation Reports
Harmony Archives
Organizational Change
Portland (Maine) Symphony Orchestra
Memphis Symphony Orchestra
National Symphony’s Residency in Kentucky
Mario Abney – XRIJF 2012
David Belasco – XRIJF 2012
Shane Endsley – XRIJF 2012Tags: Conductors
Note to Conductors: Your Hand Motions Make No Sound
For the past month or so musicians in the orchestra world have been buzzing about Roberto Minczuk, the Music Director of the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). It seems, at his urging, the orchestra management has decided to re-audition every member of the orchestra. You can imagine the outrage that this decision has
Read More →Cry me a river
It must be that overwhelming wave of affection that greets them when they come to work every day: The sudden death of Jean-Marc Cochereau, the French conductor, has prompted the very readable music writer Norman Lebrecht to issue a warning about the health hazards of conducting. M Cochereau collapsed and died from cardiac arrest on
Read More →Baltimore and Alsop Might Be On To Something
In my February 1, 2010 blog I wrote about the Baltimore Symphony’s plans for a fantasy camp, (my words) for adults, and how the amateur musicians would be working with the pros of the orchestra. It is the brainchild of Marin Alsop and apparently it has legs. Two hundred fifty amateur musicians, now called “Rusty
Read More →The Cult of Youth
Mathew Gurewitsch had an interesting article the other day in the New York Times on The Cult of Youth: IN the world of the contemporary symphony orchestra, youth is not so much a stage of life as it is a battle cry. Youth orchestras! Young conductors! At times it begins to seem that nothing else
Read More →Klemp, you talka too muich
That was the punch line of what is likely an apocryphal story about an interaction between the great German conductor Otto Klemperer and an Italian principal oboe. Sadly, Klemp is not alone. It must be hard to be a conductor, and I don’t mean that sarcastically. But one of the hardest things – judging by
Read More →It's an ecosystem, Maestro
Riccardo Muti, who last week taught us (and the Met Opera orchestra) about Verdi, this week is teaching us about the value of some American orchestras: The Riccardo Muti era at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra officially began Thursday at Symphony Center, as the CSO’s 10th music director announced plans for his first season. He did
Read More →Conductors and the cult of personality
Two conductor profiles in the New York Times in recent days highlight the dangers of thinking that conductors are special people. The first was on Riccardo Muti, and was an unadulterated puff piece: Realizing that the Met musicians might not have been familiar with the opera, he occasionally paused to clue them in on the
Read More →Better seen than heard
Norman Lebrecht thinks conductors should STFU: By some intuitive affinity or massive failure of imagination, both Gramophone and BBC Music magazine asked ’10 leading Mahler conductors’ to explain in their current issues what his symphonies mean to them. Three maestros – Zinman, Jansons, Tilson Thomas – took part in both features. The rest included most
Read More →Mein Vaterland, Mein Gott!
I had a library nightmare over the holidays, and I don’t mean that figuratively. You know those performance anxiety nightmares players can have over a particular piece that’s difficult or a recurring worst-case scenario? Well, instead of dreaming my hand wouldn’t stay on the violin fingerboard or I couldn’t identify the proper chords on the
Read More →The ultimate downbeat
I glad I didn’t have to try to follow this guy; not only would I have messed up, but I would have felt a little… violated as well.
Read More →Make Music a Part of Your Life and Never Make Life a Part of Your Music
I suppose that most of the readers of the Polyphonic blog are aware that Leonard Slatkin suffered a heart attack 5 or 6 weeks ago. I don’t usually pay much attention to reports like that, but since I’m just about the same age as Slatkin, I read his account of the incident with great interest.
Read More →Lead Like the Great Conductors
Israeli conductor Itay Talgam uses leadership on the podium as a metaphor for leadership in business. Some good stuff here, worth watching, especially the last clip of Bernstein.
Read More →Concert or Show?
This past week the Broadway show “Chicago,” was in Rochester. It was the national touring production, and I contracted it and also played it. It’s a great show. Those Bob Fosse choreographed dance segments are spectacular. What a genius that man was. His choreography is unmistakable. Talk about having a style! The music is 1920’s
Read More →GUEST BLOGGER Yvonne Caruthers–Will Apple Save Classical Music?
A few years ago conductor Leonard Slatkin stated that John Williams had saved the orchestra. Why? Because at a time when Broadway shows were moving more and more toward the use of synthesizers and recorded music, Williams was writing film scores for large orchestras. Slatkin maintained that producers (and audiences) having Williams’ sounds in their
Read More →Are conductors ovepaid?
Yes and no. Both writers make good points. I find myself more in agreement with the “no” side, however. In the end, it’s the same as with most leadership positions. Good conductors are worth every cent of what they’re paid. Bad conductors are worth nada. The more interesting question is about the value of all
Read More →Management by waving (sticks) around
The Globe and Mail apparently believes that conductors have something to teach the corporate world: As a rookie conductor, Roger Nierenberg thought his job as leader was to tell people what to do. But in 14 years as director of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra in Florida, he learned that being overly controlling is destined to
Read More →Blog Categories
- Arts Advocacy (3)
- artsjournal (1)
- Community Engagement (5)
- History (4)
- Local (2)
- Musicians Today (2)
- Pundits (4)
- What They Think About Us (25)
- Careers (15)
- Commercial (1)
- Getting Ahead (7)
- Gigs (9)
- Hiring and Firing (8)
- Live Music (4)
- Music Medicine (3)
- Negotiation (25)
- Orchestra Life (6)
- Portfolio (1)
- Recording Industry (2)
- Classical Music (9)
- Composition (4)
- Compositional Process (0)
- Conducting (6)
- Performances (4)
- Composer's Corner (0)
- Editor's Choice (18)
- Education (12)
- Back to School (1)
- Books (2)
- Higher Education (3)
- OnCampus (7)
- Staying informed (4)
- Students (7)
- Electronic media (8)
- Entrepreneurship (12)
- Health & Wellness (1)
- Legal (1)
- Miscellaneous (4)
- bloopers (1)
- Uncategorized (390)
- Money (5)
- Income Streams (8)
- Sustainability (21)
- Taxes (12)
- Orchestra Management (8)
- Orchestra Economics (55)
- Orchestral Etiquette (2)
- Orchestral Models (16)
- Resctructuring (13)
- solvency (9)
- Professionalism (21)
- Compromised Integrity (2)
- Labor relations (51)
- Learning From Mistakes (4)
- Mindset (8)
- Performance Anxiety (0)
- The Future (32)
- Discoveries (4)
- Ten Years Later (1)
- The Apocalypse (26)
- Arts Advocacy (3)
Recent Comments
- Polyphonic.org – The Orchestra Musician Forum – Symphony Magazine, Spring 2013 Issue said: "[...] writes about the 100th anniversary of Stravinsky’s Rite of S.." on Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring at 100
- Polyphonic.org – The Orchestra Musician Forum – Improving the Orchestra’s Revenue Position: Practical Tactics and General Strategies said: "[...] assets of the Symphony Orchestra Institute to the Eastman School. .." on Harmony Archive
- Polyphonic.org – The Orchestra Musician Forum – Where no orchestra has gone before said: "[...] were locked out for several weeks in the fall of 2012. And I misse.." on The AFM is still wrong about the League
- Polyphonic.org – The Orchestra Musician Forum – Where no orchestra has gone before said: "[...] adherence to the Music Directors’ Code of Omertá is the norm.." on Dumb s**t conductors say
- Polyphonic.org – The Orchestra Musician Forum – Where no orchestra has gone before said: "[...] 2009, of course, was a year in which the orchestra reported a bala.." on Cooking the books
Rochelle Skolnick said: "Robert, I think you are correct that the "root" question is why so many .." on The AFM is still wrong about the League
Steven Reading said: "One thing I forgot to mention, although it seems to me to pretty self ev.."
on
Improving Parts (and Scores) for Orchestral Musicians
- Steven Reading said: "Thanks for your post. You are right, when we started we did concentrate .."
on
Improving Parts (and Scores) for Orchestral Musicians
Bassclef said: "Hi! I checked your catalogue and it strikes me you're offering your own .." on Improving Parts (and Scores) for Orchestral Musicians
jani said: "This seems to be a great idea. Though, is your material only improved Ka.." on Improving Parts (and Scores) for Orchestral Musicians
Pamela Brown said: "RL said, "On the Minnesota Orchestra front, Graydon Royce of the Minneap.." on News from the North
said: "Ms. Wolkowicz illustrates a great way for orchestras to engage future au.." on Connecting to Kids and Concepts: The Unleashing Power of Music Education Programs
- Polyphonic.org – The Orchestra Musician Forum – Depreciation of Musical Instruments said: "[...] I’ll guarantee you your friendly H&R Block tax preparer doesn.." on Depreciation of Musical Instruments
javelinda said: "I'm playing the ET Music with the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra 4/4/1.." on Can an Alien Save the American Orchestra? –Thoughts on “The New Model”
