He seems like a damn good choice to me. His programs in SF have been imaginative and very well conducted. He's not afraid of new music and has managed to get some on most of his programs when he's the guest conductor for a US orchestra.
Updated list of known openings:
- Seattle Symphony when Ludovic Morlot leaves
- Dallas Symphony Orchestra (when Jaap van Zweden takes up his new post at the NYPO)
- Milwaukee Symphony
- Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
- San Diego Symphony
- Orchestra Nationale de France
- Vienna Staatsoper / VPO (Dominique Meyer not planning to appoint a WSO MD; his contract expires in 2020.)
- Dresden Philharmonic: 2019 departure for Michael Sanderling
- MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony: 2018 departure for Kristian Jarvi
- Scottish Chamber Orchestra: 2018 departure for Robin Ticciati
- Orchestre National de Lyon: open now, with Leonard Slatkin's departure
- Brno Philharmonic: open since 2015
- Singapore Symphony: 2019 departure for Lan Shui
- Vienna RSO: 2018 departure for Cornelius Meister
- Toronto SO: 2018 departure for Peter Oundjian
- Winnipeg SO: 2018 departure for Alexander Mickelthwate
- Czech Philharmonic, following death of Jiří Bělohlávek
- Hamburg Symphony, following death of Sir Jeffrey Tate
- Washington National Opera, departure of Philippe Auguin at conclusion of 2017-18
- San Francisco Opera, departure of Nicola Luisotti at conclusion of 2017-18
- * Opera North: open now, with Aleksandr Markovic's departure
- Bavarian State Opera: with Kirill Petrenko going to Berlin and KP's Munich contract through 2021, it's sort of implied that he'll give up Munich
- Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: 2017 is Stephen Lord's final season as MD
And closed:
- St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; Stéphane Denève to succeed David Robertson
- Hong Kong Philharmonic; Jaap van Zweden's contract extended through summer of 2022
- City of Birmingham SO; Mirga Grazintye-Tyla appointed 2/4/2016, succeeding Andris Nelsons
- New York Philharmonic; Jaap Van Zweden appointed, 1/27/16, succeeding Alan Gilbert
- National Symphony Orchestra; Gianandrea Noseda appointed, 1/4/2016, succeeding Christoph Eschenbach.
- Leipzig Gewandhaus: Andris Nelsons appointed, 9/9/2015
- LSO: Simon Rattle appointed, 3/2/2015
- Orchestra de Paris: Daniel Harding, 6/11/2015
- Berlin Philharmonic: Kirill Petrenko appointed, 6/22/2015
- BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Thomas Dausgaard succeeds Donald Runnicles in September, 2016
So many of these conductors I'd like to see come to SF are getting snapped up by other orchestras. Who'll be left when our vacancy needs filling?
ReplyDeleteI guess we'll see, but I think more than few good conductors are on the loose:
ReplyDelete- Robertson
- Honeck might want to move up from Pittsburgh
- Mälkki doesn't have a US appointment
- Gaffigan
- Gilbert
- Not for ten years, but MGT.
- Marin Alsop? Not so sure about her.
Oh, yeah: Morlot.
ReplyDeleteI had a feeling Deneve would get this appointment. Living in Philadelphia, I've heard Deneve conduct a lot (he's our principal guest conductor). I agree that he's great in new music; some of the best playing I heard all season from the orchestra came a few weeks ago when he conducted Esa-Pekka Salonen's Nyx. I find him a little more variable in the classics, though--he was kind of all over the place when he conducted this seasons Rachmaninoff Festival. But if that encourages the programming of more new music, I won't complain.
ReplyDeleteDeneve extended his contract as principal guest conductor here through the end of the 2019-2020 season last year, but given this news, who knows what will happen. I always kind of got the sense that he felt overshadowed by Yannick (who wouldn't?) and that he had been looking to move on, so I was surprised when he extended to begin with.
There are quite a few other openings in addition to those on your list:
ReplyDelete* Dresden Philharmonic: 2019 departure for Michael Sanderling
* MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony: 2018 departure for Kristian Jarvi
* Scottish Chamber Orchestra: 2018 departure for Robin Ticciati
* Orchestre National de Lyon: open now, with Leonard Slatkin's departure
* Brno Philharmonic: open since 2015
* Singapore Symphony: 2019 departure for Lan Shui
* Vienna RSO: 2018 departure for Cornelius Meister
* Toronto SO: 2018 departure for Peter Oundjian
* Winnipeg SO: 2018 departure for Alexander Mickelthwate
Of course, two sudden and very sad openings now:
* Czech Philharmonic
* Hamburg Symphony
One 'soft' openings might be the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, since Thomas Sondergard goes to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in 2018 This puts the BBC NOW in a bit of a pickle if he does leave in 1 year.
Among opera companies, besides your own local organization:
* Opera North: open now, with Aleksandr Markovic's departure
* Bavarian State Opera: with Kirill Petrenko going to Berlin and KP's Munich contract through 2021, it's sort of implied that he'll give up Munich
* Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: 2017 is Stephen Lord's final season as MD
Speaking of St. Louis, the musicians here are indeed quite pleased at the hiring of Deneve. Even though there will be one year without a full-time MD, with Robertson's rather precipitate departure, at least they have a successor in the wings.
BTW, on the Orchestre National de France, the ONF has Emmanuel Krivine lined up to start as its next MD this coming season.
WOW, thank you, and apologies for the late reply! I will add those.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I just heard that Phillipe Augin has plans to leave Washington National Opera.
Duly updated, and why did this list not include Nicola Luisotti's departure from SF Opera? Thank you again!
ReplyDeleteRe "overshadowed by Yannick" - we won't know for a while whether he can handle Philly + Met. I honestly don't understand why either Board would let him try; both jobs deserve more than the 40% of his attention that they will get.
ReplyDelete