Houston Appoints New Music Director--Americans Need Not Apply

[Modernistfan]

The Houston Symphony appointed its new music director--as usual, Americans need not apply. The new music director is Juraj Valčuha, a Slovak conductor who has made a few recordings in Europe. It seems that we in the United States have returned to the old pattern where any random assistant Vice-Kapellmeister of the Nové Zámky orchestra goes to the front of the line ahead of any American conductor as a candidate for the music director post (yes, Nové Zámky does not have its own orchestra; it is a small town in Slovakia, about 60 miles from Bratislava, which does have an orchestra.)

[Lance]

These are strange times, indeed! I see major changes in our culture, some not so good.

[Modernistfan]

When are younger American conductors such as Karina Canellakis or Jonathon Heyward going to get a shot at such jobs?

[barney]

When they're old American conductors? When they've been chief conductor somewhere so big they can't be ignored, like BPO, VPO, LSO? I think this problem may be worse in the US than Australia, even though we only have a dozen or so good professional orchestras.

[maestrob]

When they're old American conductors? When they've been chief conductor somewhere so big they can't be ignored, like BPO, VPO, LSO? I think this problem may be worse in the US than Australia, even though we only have a dozen or so good professional orchestras.

The treatment of Geoffrey Tozer is certainly a perfect example of how to be ignored in your homeland in spite of overwhelmingly great talent.

At least Simone Young had a chance to launch her career there before emigrating to Germany. She's done magnificent work there, and should go very far if there's any justice.

We Americans still suffer from a terrible inferiority complex when it comes to foreign-accented conductors, yet our musicians are praised around the world for their self-discipline and high level of talent, both singers and conductors.

Examples would be: David Zinman in Zurich, Myung-Whun Chung, who trained at Juilliard and rose to direct the Paris Opera, not to mention James Conlon, now leading the Los Angeles Opera (also trained by Jean Morel at Juilliard) who has been Principal Conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Torino, Italy (2016–20); Principal Conductor of the Paris Opera (1995–2004); General Music Director of the City of Cologne, Germany (1989–2003), simultaneously leading the Gürzenich Orchestra and the Cologne Opera; and Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra (1983-1991).

I won't mention the dozens of American-trained singers who, like my own Semifinalist, Robin Johannsen, have established themselves in successful careers in Europe where their talents are rewarded and appreciated both in performance and on CD & DVD.

So it works both ways.

[Modernistfan]

Actually, Valčuha might not be such a bad choice. He has an open mind toward repertoire; when he guest-conducted recently in Houston, he suggested the addition of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson's "Sinfonietta No.1" to the program (Perkinson is a contemporary Black composer). My criticism is more directed to the process than to the result.

[THEHORN]

Actually, American conductors have been active all over the world for decades . Just look at athis lost the Americans who have been music director of leading orchestras and opera company sin Europe - Levine, Maazel, Dennis Russell Davies, Kent Nagano, Joann Falletta, Marin Alsop,Michael Tilson Thomas, Gerard Schwarz, James Conlon, Alan Gilbert , David Zinman, Lawrence Foster, to name only some .
The orchestras and opera companies include the London symphony, Paris opera, Orchestre National de France, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Bournemouth symphony , Bavarian RSO ,the Halle orchestra,
Stuttgart opera , Frankfurt RSO, Cologne opera and and Gurzenich orchestra, Vienna State opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Monte Carlo Philharmonic, Bavarian State opera, Hamburg State opera, NDR symphony Hamburg, ( now the Elbe Philharmonie ) Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and others .

[barney]

As usual, I have a helpful suggestion - no, no, please don't thank me, only too happy to oblige. Just as with baseball, whose world series comprises one country with a team or two from a second country (but only in American eyes is this the "world"), so the US could adopt the entire north and south American continents as part of the US. That would enable you to add such musicians as Barenboim, Dudamel and Dutoit as great American conductors with highly distinguished careers.

[maestrob]

As usual, I have a helpful suggestion - no, no, please don't thank me, only too happy to oblige. Just as with baseball, whose world series comprises one country with a team or two from a second country (but only in American eyes is this the "world"), so the US could adopt the entire north and south American continents as part of the US. That would enable you to add such musicians as Barenboim, Dudamel and Dutoit as great American conductors with highly distinguished careers.

Lovely idea! We are, after all, "The Americas," aren't we?

So, then, let's not forget Nezet-Seguin, who hails from Canada, n'est-ce pas?

[barney]

Absolutely Brian. by the end of his career he might have outstripped the three I mention. Good call.