I’m going to take a cue from today’s Tour de France stage – it’s time for the solo time trial.
I (and I suspect you, dear reader) need a break from such delightful subjects as “How To Destroy A Major Symphony Orchestra” and “What Do We Do With All These Brown People?” Those are industry-wide topics that won’t get resolved today, so let’s focus on the single individual. Today’s topic is the Conductor Search, and what committees should or should not be asking for.
I recently chatted with an old friend, fellow conductor, who has been approached about his interest in a conducting position. He certainly seemed interested, but he expressed a certain dismay at one of the requirements – a repertoire list. I had to laugh in sympathy. For a young conductor just starting out this information may be of interest, but for anyone who has kicked around the profession for, say, 2+ decades, a rep list is a waste of time.
Circumstances might have dictated that you learn the 43rd symphony of the great Balkan composer Alban Grbzxski, but that doesn’t mean you are an expert in his music, or that you have an interest in his music at all. But there it is, on the rep list. All conductors have their specialities – please just ask about them. That will tell you much more than a mere recitation of facts.
Within very recent memory I was asked by a committee to provide a video of me in rehearsal. I was perplexed, to say the least, because this was not something I had considered worrying about for a long, long time. It would be somewhat analogous to starting off an audition for a position in the Philadelphia Orchestra’s 1st violin section with – “G Major scale, 3 octaves please!” I am going to assume that you can play a G Major scale, so please assume that after 2+ decades in this business I can at least semi-competently run a rehearsal. If not, why are you interested in me?
So let’s start the conversation – what should committees be asking from prospective conductors? Keep in mind that many conducting positions are in the realm of academia and might have some different requirements than the “professional” orchestras. I’ll start with my (extremely non-exhaustive) list.
DON’T ask for a rep list. Feel free to ask for specialities, but please don’t waste my time.
DO ask why this position is of interest. The answer might surprise you.
DO ask about their approach to education concerts. Recently I was asked whether I had conducted any recently which allowed me to mention that I conduct ed. concerts with my orchestra every season. This led to a very interesting conversation….
DO ask about fundraising. This is 2013 and this is important.
DON’T ask for reference letters, unless you really need them for some reason. We are public figures, so if you really need to know about us ask around yourself, and/or use that brand new invention – the internet.
There are many others, but I’m curious how everyone out there in TV land thinks. Please send in your suggestions. I’ll send them along to the Minnesota Orchestra in case they start looking for a new Music Director anytime soon.
One of the best things an orchestra ever did during a conductor search when I worked for them was putting candidates in front of advanced high school students and watching the interaction. It was very telling who felt comfortable connecting to these young musicians who will be the patrons of the future.
I think it is interesting if a conductor is asked how s/he is planning to be a part of the community outside of the concert hall walls, if at all. This ties in with the Fundraising question point a bit, however I think, yes, it being 2013: an increasing interest in how an orchestra can become more socially embedded within its community & audience engagement outside of “downbeat to coda” time, it may be worth asking. Does this mean go grocery shopping at a well known neighborhood market? Appear at more public events? Do more press/media interviews & engagements? Be present at more educational run-outs? Even if the conductor would not be local, what would happen when s/he is in town, outside of concert hall time? I bet the conductor’s response would expose 1. what s/he personally values to be important, 2. how s/he interprets the given city (or even knows what’s going on in that particular city), and probably most important 3. a viewpoint into the potential future from the orchestra’s standpoint (because all cities’ likes & needs are different) through the conductor’s interpretation on leadership & visibility (and how s/he might play a role in that given city as well as organization).