Music News
Our Loss, Kentucky’s Gain
At the weekend conference of the Association of California Symphony Orchestras in Walnut Creek, the state’s music officials bid farewell to two prominent colleagues. We have already chronicled the pending departure of San Francisco Symphony’s Gary Ginstling to Cleveland, but the new news is the exit of Philharmonia Baroque Executive Director Robert Birman.
Birman, who came to the Philharmonia in 2001, will become chief operating officer of the Louisville Orchestra next month. The orchestra’s chief executive officer is Bradley L. Broecker.
Robert Birman
Birman, former ACSO board president, has been working in orchestra management since 1992, including stints in Boston, Santa Barbara, Boulder, and Dubuque (Iowa); he also worked for The New World Symphony and National Endowment for the Arts.
He came to San Francisco at the end of a bit of a turmoil at Philharmonia, when longtime executive George Gelles and Music Director Nicholas McGegan had some “creative differences.” Gelles left for the Carmel Bach Festival (only to quit there before taking up the job), was replaced briefly by Stacey Street, who then left to succeed Millie Mitchell at the California Symphony. Bay Area music scene: always in motion! Street is still in Walnut Creek, Gelles went to England’s Hanover Band, later to the Ensemble Theatre Company, and eventually became director of development for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
Phiharmonia has appointed General Manager Cindi Hubbard as interim executive director while a national search is conducted for Birman’s successor.
Cindi Hubbard
A report on the ACSO conference is coming up in next week’s Music News.
Composers, Inc. 25th Season of New American Music
Composers, Inc.’s 2008-2009 season, the 25th, will include premieres of seven commissions from California composers: Sean Friar’s Hell-Bent for piano trio, Clint Needham’s Five Pieces for Woodwind Quintet, and works by Composers, Inc.’s artistic directors Robert Greenberg, Frank La Rocca, Jeffrey Miller, Martin Rokeach, and Allen Shearer.
The concerts will take place on Oct. 14, March 10, and April 28 at the Green Room of the Veterans Building; and on Feb. 4, at Herbst Theatre.
Other composers to be presented by the organization: Ann Callaway, Edmund Campion, Matthew Cmiel, Cindy Cox, Donald Crockett, Richard Felciano, Derek Jacoby, Robert Muczynski, and Allen Shearer.
Robert Greenberg
Opera on Film, for Free
Koret Auditorium at the San Francisco Public Library’s main branch is the venue for free screening of films from the San Francisco Opera’s upcoming season, all beginning at noon.
- Aug. 14: Die tote Stadt, from Opera National du Rhin
- Aug. 21: Idomeneo, from the Salzburg Festival
- Aug. 28: Boris Godunov, Royal Opera production
Die tote Stadt
Thomson to Santa Rosa
George Thomson has been named interim director of the Santa Rosa Symphony Young People’s Chamber Orchestra (YPCO). He is former Berkeley Symphony assistant music director and is currently on the San Domenico School faculty, as well as the music director of the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra. Thomson will serve as director in the 2008-2009 season in place of Linda Ghidossi-DeLuca, who is on sabbatical.
Thomson conducted Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique at the Santa Rosa Symphony last year, in the Early Romantics Festival Finale. He was chosen from a field of eight candidates by a committee consisting of two YPCO musicians, two YPCO parents, two Symphony board members, and three staff members.
Santa Rosa Symphony Executive Director Alan Silow praised Thomson as “a highly accomplished and well-respected music educator of young musicians in the Bay Area. We are thoroughly delighted at our good fortune at having him join SRS.”
George Thomson on the cover of School Band and Orchestra Magazine
The Barber of Fremont
The Bay Area’s youngest company, Fremont Opera, is following up its successful La Bohème with its second season later this month, and two semistaged performances of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. Conducted by company director David Sloss, and directed by Jonathon Field, the production Aug. 22 and 24, at Ohlone College, will feature former Merola Program favorites Eugene Brancoveanu (Figaro), Nikki Einfeld (Rosina), Eleazar Rodriguez (Almavival), Kirk Eichelberger (Basilio), and Jason Budd (Bartolo).
Eugene Brancoveanu
Woody Allen’s Choice Between Death and Opera
Somewhat disingenuously, Woody Allen — one of the most opera-oriented movie directors, whose films are packed with arias and duets wall-to-wall — claims he has been forced to direct Los Angeles Opera’s upcoming production of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi just by the fact that he is not dead yet.
He told Contactmusic.com that he accepted Placido Domingo’s invitation to direct the opera “three years ago, thinking he’d be dead before he would have to honor his promise.” The 72-year-old is now faced with having to make good on his promise.
Allen’s Match Point had Caruso on the soundtrack through and through, Love and Death had Prokofiev, A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy featured Mendelssohn, and so on. And the director often attends the opera in New York. The “opera or death” statement may well be just a ploy to lower expectations.
Woody Allen (with Scarlett Johansson)
Photo by Gilgul
Gaffigan Conquers Wyoming
San Francisco Symphony Associate Conductor James Gaffigan, 28, is on a roll at home, at the Festival del Sole, and in guest appearances hither and yon. This time he is making his debut at the Grand Teton Music Festival, run by San Francisco Opera Music Director Donald Runnicles. Gaffigan told Planet News about conducting at a young age:
I think musicians, for the most part, are pretty open as long as you have something to say and you’re passionate and clear with what you want. I haven’t had any problems with the whole age thing — maybe when I first get up on the podium some of the musicians are looking at me like, “What does this kid have to offer? We’ve played this piece more times than he’s been alive.” I think it’s just a matter of being prepared and knowing this is an open dialogue between orchestra and conductor — it’s chamber music on a much bigger scale.
With his obvious love and aptitude for opera, why doesn’t he get involved more in the genre? His answer may be similar to his boss’ reluctance to conduct opera, as well; MTT is yet to make his debut across the street from Davies Hall at the War Memorial:
I do love opera more than anything, but it takes a lot of your time. When you’re slated to do an opera, it’s two-and-a-half months of your life — Mr. Runnicles knows — it’s a lot of time, but it is worth it in the end.
Gaffigan is conducting Richard Strauss’ Don Juan, Vaughn Williams’ Oboe Concerto, and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 for the Grand Teton Festival.
James Gaffigan
Photo by Margaret K. Mitchell
Janos Gereben (janosg@gmail.com) is a regular contributor to San Francisco Classical Voice.
©2008 By Janos Gereben, all rights reserved.