Here are the openings or openings-to-be, and I'm not even including the possibility that James Levine will eventually step down as MD of the Met, largely because I believe he only leave in a box. It is quite a remarkable list of more and less prominent orchestras around the world:
- New York Philharmonic, with Alan Gilbert leaving
- National Symphony Orchestra, with Eschenbach leaving
- City of Birmingham SO, because Andris Nelsons just can't be MD here and in Boston. Evan Tucker thinks Edward Gardiner will take the job, but there has not been an announcement of this.
- Berlin Philharmonic, with Simon Rattle leaving
- LSO, coming vacant; Rattle may be angling for this job and many consider him the best candidate
- BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, where Donald Runnicles's tenure is coming to an end
- Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Mariss Jansons is ensconced here but his continued tenure depends on his health.
- Milwaukee Symphony, where Edo de Waart is departing
- Hong Kong Philharmonic
- Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
- San Diego Symphony
- Orchestra de Paris
- Orchestra Nationale de France
- Vienna Staatsoper / VPO, with the departure of FW-M
That's a lot of orchestras. Take a look at the Facebook discussion and name your candidates.
Update: Added the two French orchestra that are or will be looking around, 2/23/15 and also the VSO/VPO.
Update: Added the two French orchestra that are or will be looking around, 2/23/15 and also the VSO/VPO.
Maybe everyone on this list is vying for another of the jobs on this list. I somehow don't see non A list conductors fitting into these potentially empty slots. Perhaps the kind of relationships MTT has with the players in "his" orchestra is a functional kind of "marriage." Perhaps a little switcheroo might keep the music making alive in places where it has died. Perhaps it is a delusion. Perhaps some of these conductors are getting too old to do the job properly (but I wouldn't bet on it). Then there's the money thing. Ozawa brought a good deal of money into the BSO through his various charms. They were not charms that worked with the orchestra or the more astute members of the audience. We will see how it all plays out.
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