Museum Mondays

Artemis

Musee du Louvre

Paris, October, 2018

Artemis, detail

Musee du Louvre

Paris, October, 2018

Artemis, detail

Musee du Louvre

Paris, October, 2018

Friday Photo

Shadow of an angel

Notre Dame de Paris

October, 2018

Angel

Notre Dame de Paris

October, 2018

Museum Mondays

Capresse de colonies

Charles Cordier

Musée d'Orsay

Paris, October, 2018

Blatant colonialism, yes.

Blind Faith

It's best if your web site lists the works you are playing on a particular concert. I can't begin to tell you how much I won't buy a ticket if you don't even tell me in advance which composers are on the program.

Found in Sundry Communications from San Francisco Opera

First, the season announcement for 2019-20 will be on Tuesday, January 22, by email; no press conference this year.

Second, the Auditions page currently includes the following, in the second for chorus auditions:

Positions for all voice parts may be available in the full-time Regular Chorus, and all voice parts in the part-time Extra Chorus will be available with a special need for male voices for 2019 productions.

Hmm, special need for male voices, I wonder what that might mean.

Third, in today's "Backstage with Matthew," General Director Matthew Shilvock passes along some important news:

We were very grateful to enter into new collective bargaining agreements with a number of our labor partners this past year, including the Stage Crew (IATSE Local 16), the San Francisco Opera Orchestra (AFM Local 6), the Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild (IATSE Local 706), the Theatrical Wardrobe Union (IATSE Local 784) and the Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800). We are blessed to have incredibly talented people in so many different disciplines make up the Company and are very grateful for the collegial partnership of our labor unions in bringing thrilling opera to life in our theater. 

Good labor relations are important to the smooth function of any large musical organization. The union representing the chorus isn't mentioned, and I assume that means that their contract won't be up for a while.

Also from "Backstage with Matthew: "Soon after [the Ring] we immersed ourselves into the first season of programming for the new management team, which was at the same time exhilarating and nail-biting for me! " We are out of the Gockley era and into the Shilvock era.

Friday Photo

Mosaic floor

Palais Garnier

Paris, October, 2018

And at the Los Angeles Philharmonic

This one is fun: Lang Lang was supposed to play all of the Beethoven piano concertos over a series of concerts, but he is recovering from tendinitis, so a team of four additional pianists will be helping out. I would love to see all of the contracts involved here.

CHANGES IN LINE-UP FOR THE  LANG LANG & BEETHOVEN CONCERTS AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL   Dates: May 17-24, 2019

In order to ensure maximum recovery time from tendinitis of the left arm, pianist Lang Lang very much regrets that he can only proceed with two performances of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2, instead of the previously announced five concertos for the upcoming Lang Lang and Beethoven series at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The following pianists will join Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to perform the other concertos: Beatrice Rana, Conrad Tao, Yulianna Avdeeva, and Javier Perianes.   Programs and dates are as follows:   Friday, May 17, 2019, 8pm Gustavo Dudamel, conductor  Lang Lang, piano    BEETHOVEN   Egmont Overture HAYDN            Symphony No. 104, London BEETHOVEN   Piano Concerto No. 2   Saturday, May 18, 2019, 8pm  Gustavo Dudamel, conductor  Beatrice Rana, piano Conrad Tao, piano   BEETHOVEN   Egmont Overture BEETHOVEN   Piano Concerto No. 1             Mr. Tao BEETHOVEN   Piano Concerto No. 3             Ms. Rana   Sunday, May 19, 2019, 2pm  Gustavo Dudamel, conductor  Lang Lang, piano    BEETHOVEN   Egmont Overture HAYDN            Symphony No. 104, London BEETHOVEN   Piano Concerto No. 2   Thursday, May 23, 2019, 8pm  Gustavo Dudamel, conductor  Yulianna Avdeeva, piano  Javier Perianes, piano   BEETHOVEN   Piano Concerto No. 4            Ms. Avdeeva BEETHOVEN   Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”            Mr. Perianes   Friday, May 24, 2019, 8pm Gustavo Dudamel, conductor  Yulianna Avdeeva, piano  Javier Perianes, piano   BEETHOVEN   Piano Concerto No. 4            Ms. Avdeeva BEETHOVEN   Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”            Mr. Perianes

I Sort of Saw This Coming.

Here's what I wrote in November:

Found in a NY Philharmonic press release:

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla To Make New York Philharmonic DebutDvořák’s Cello Concerto, with Gautier Capuçon Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2 Sibelius’s Lemminkainen and the Maidens of the Island January 3–5, 2019Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2Sibelius’s Lemminkainen and the Maidens of the IslandJanuary 3–5, 2019

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla will make her New York Philharmonic debut conducting Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, with Gautier Capuçon as soloist; Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2; and Sibelius’s Lemminkainen and the Maidens of the Island, Thursday, January 3, 2019, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, January 4 at 11:00 a.m.; and Saturday, January 5 at 8:00 p.m.

That's a couple of weeks before the SFS engagement that MGT cancelled a few weeks back. I wonder which of the following is correct:

1. The NY Phil is about to be surprised.

2. The five-hour flight from Birmingham (or London, or wherever she lives in the UK) to NYC is less of a problem than the ten-hour flight to San Francisco.

I opined that 2 was correct. However, today comes another announcement from the NY Philharmonic:

Paavo Järvi To Replace Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla

Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with Gautier Capuçon 

Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2 

Sibelius’s Lemminkainen and the Maidens of the IslandJanuary 3–5, 2019 

And as in SF, maternity leave is the reason. 

Museum Mondays

Classical torso

The Louvre

Paris, October, 2018

Another U Mich Accusation

Found at Musical America, thanks to a Tweet:

On Monday, an article appeared in The Michigan Daily , UMich’s student newspaper, accusing Stephen Shipps, chair of the strings department and director of the university's strings preparatory division, of sexual misconduct. The story has … 

MA is behind a paywall and I'm not a subscriber. Covered elsewhere:

• Deadline Detroit
• Michigan Daily, where the headline is "Former students bring 40 years of misconduct allegations by SMTD professor"

Jesus fucking christ. The preparatory division would be pre-college students.

Friday Photo

Cheeses of Paris

Shop Window

Ile St. Louis, Paris

October, 2018

Bard Music West in 2019

Bard Music West has a banner year coming up.

First, there's a new concert series, to be held in March, when I will inconveniently be doing jujitsu in Chicago (but the trip with include Hamilton and a certain SFS music director designate at the CSO in Strauss and Bartok):

DATES Unless otherwise noted, all concerts are “pay what you can” at the door.

Thursday, March 28, 2019, 8pm Center for New Music 55 Taylor Street, San Francisco 
Friday, March 29, 2019, 7:30pm Palo Alto (venue TBA)
Saturday, March 30, 2019, 1pm Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) 2155 Center Street, Berkeley Free with museum admission
Sunday, March 31, 2019, 2:30pm Residence of Composer Vivian Fung 
Please contact Bard Music West to RSVP for address at 415-857-1632 or info@bardmusicwest.org.
PROGRAM more program details to be announced in February 
Danny Clay – String Quartet + Toy Piano, for string quartet and toy piano 
Clay – Playbook for flexible instrumentation 
Gabriella Smith – Carrot Revolution for string quartet 
Works by Phyllis Chen, Joseph Haydn, and others

Then there's the Bard Music West Festival, which this year will be The World of Grazyna Bacewicz!!!

On October 18-19, 2019 at Noe Valley Ministry, Bard Music West will present its third festival celebrating Polish composer and virtuoso violinist/pianist Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969). The festival will illuminate Bacewicz’s incredibly rich body of work and, in the fiftieth year since her death, make a case for her inclusion among the great composers of the twentieth-century. Three concerts and a talk will dive into her life, music, inspirations, and contemporaries. 

“Witold Lutoslawski called Bacewicz ‘one of the foremost women composers of all time,’ but we believe that she was one of the great composers of the twentieth century, period. While she is well- known in her native Poland, she is rarely played in the United States. 2019 marks fifty years since her death and so it seems the right time to make a case for her inclusion in the canon of great twentieth- century composers. Our festival will be a rare opportunity to be immersed in her music which ranges from pure virtuosic fun to terribly moving statements on humanity. We also look forward to exploring her contemporaries from around World War II and its aftermath, many of whom are overlooked in their own right.” —Allegra Chapman, Artistic Codirector and Executive Director, Bard Music West

A virtuoso violinist and pianist, Bacewicz wrote over two hundred pieces of chamber music, virtuosic solo showpieces, concerti, and works for chamber orchestra and large-scale orchestra. Born in Poland, she studied composition in Paris with Nadia Boulanger, and violin with André Touret and Carl Flesch. She was concertmaster of the Polish Radio Orchestra in the 1930s. During World War II, she continued to compose, giving secret underground concerts in Warsaw. Bacewicz won numerous awards for her compositions, and spent the last fifteen years of her life devoted solely to composition. 

To reiterate the important dates:

Concerts:

Thursday, March 28-Sunday, March 31, 2019, in various locations.

The World of Grazing Bacewicz:

October 18-19, 2019

Noe Valley Ministry

Esa-Pekka Salonen Replaces Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla

I know, I know, it's been almost a week and my OMG IT'S ESA-PEKKA SALONEN post is not yet live. Sorry! But here's some news that was announced with the big news, which is that program that Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla was supposed to conducted, which was TBA for some time, will be taken by the music director designate. 

Let me say that I bought tickets as fast as I could because who wouldn't want to see him!!!! and hear the cheering!

At the time that MGT canceled, the announcement said that Gabriela Montero would still be playing one of the Tchaikovsky piano concertos, don't ask me which. Apparently this was a no-go when Salonen took the concert, but oh boy, it's a much more interesting program than it would have been with the concerto:

Anna THORVALDSDOTTIR

Metacosmos [West Coast Premiere]

R. STRAUSS

Also sprach Zarathurstra, Opus 30

SIBELIUS

Four Legends from the Kalevala, Opus 22

Note that the original did include the Sibelius, and I'm so happy to see it back on the program. Among other things, hearing a big solo from Russ deLuna is always a pleasure, and of the four Legends, I've only heard "The Swan of Tuonela" live.

There's a special note from SFS in the press release that just dropped:

To ensure the San Francisco Symphony’s place as an Orchestra for all, 200 $20 tickets will be made available to students for each of the January 18–20 concerts, offering students an unparalleled opportunity to witness these historic performances. Salonen will return as Music Director Designate in the 2019–20 season to conduct at least two weeks of concerts before beginning as Music Director in September 2020.

Previously: MGT Out, ?? In

Museum Mondays

The Birth of Gothic Sculpture

Musée National du Moyen Age

(Musée de Cluny)

Paris, October, 2018

Media Round-Up: Ifigenia in Aulide, Ars Minerva

Raves for Ars Minerva's Ifigenia in Aulide, by Giovanni Porta:

• Joshua Kosman, Chron
• Lisa Hirsch, SFCV
• Maria Nockin, Operawire
• Liz Henry, Composite
• Opera Tattler
• Stephen Smoliar, The Rehearsal Studio
• Michael Anthonio, Parterre Box (the post title is hilarious, but I must note that there are no priests or priestesses in the opera)
• Michael Strickland, Civic Center (inquiring minds want to know how he got the production photos that the rest of us were longing for)

UPDATED: December 9, 2018, with links to Michael Anthonio and Michael Strickland's reviews.

Friday Photo (Vegetarians, Look Away!)

Chickens in a Butcher Shop

Latin Quarter, Rue du Seine

Paris, October, 2018

Yes, I'm curious about why their skins are such different shades of, uh, chicken skin.

More Conductor News

Others I forgot to include:

• Toronto SO signs Gustavo Gimeno, starting in 2020-21.
• Washington National Opera brings in Evan Rogister in a newly-created job, Principal Conductor, from this season, 2018-19, through 2021-22. WNO also renewed Francesca Zambello's contract as Artistic Director for three years. 

Updated list of openings, etc.:

• Orchestre National de Lyon: open now, with Leonard Slatkin's departure
• Opera North: open now, with Aleksandr Markovic's departure
• Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: 2017 is Stephen Lord's final season as MD
• Teatro Regio Turin: Open now with departure of Gianandrea Noseda 
• Minnesota Opera: Michael Christie leaves this year 
• Sao Paulo Symphony: Marin Alsop leaves at some point
• BBC Philharmonic when Juanjo Mena leaves at the end of 2017-18
• Berkeley Symphony, when Joana Carneiro leaves at the end of 2017-18
• San Francisco Opera, departure of Nicola Luisotti at conclusion of 2017-18
• Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which Leonard Slatkin leaves at the close of the 2017-18 season.
• MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony: 2018 departure for Kristian Jarvi
• Scottish Chamber Orchestra: 2018 departure for Robin Ticciati
• Winnipeg SO: 2018 departure for Alexander Mickelthwate
• Orchestre de Paris, when Daniel Harding leaves at the end of 2018-19
• Sarasota Orchestra after Anu Tali  leaves at the end of 2018-2019
• Melbourne Symphony: Sir Andrew Davis leaves at the end of 2019 
• Ulster Orchestra: Rafael Payare leaves in 2019
• Richmond Symphony: Steven Smith leaves in 2019 
• Singapore Symphony: 2019 departure for Lan Shui
• Sydney Symphony Orchestra: David Robertson will be leaving the SSO at the end of 2019. So he really will be without an orchestral home as of 1/1/2020.
• Montreal Symphony Orchestra: Kent Nagano is leaving the OSM after 2019-2020. 
• Fort Worth Symphony: Miguel Harth-Bedoya leaves in 2020 
• Royal Opera, when Antonio Pappano leaves in 2020
• Opera de Paris, when Philippe Jordan leaves in 2020
• Atlanta Symphony, when Robert Spano leaves in 2020
• Virginia Symphony: JoAnn Falletta leaves in 2020
•  Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra: Nicholas McGegan steps down as music director in 2020 
• BBC National Orchestra of Wales when Thomas Søndergård leaves for his new job
• Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
• Philharmonia Orchestra, when Esa-Pekka Salonen leaves at the end of the 2020-2021 season.
• Oregon Symphony, when Carlos Kalmar leaves at the end of the 2020-21 season.
• Minnesota Orchestra, when Osmo Vänskä leaves in 2022.

Conductors looking for jobs (that is, as of the near future, or now, they do not have a posting):

• Lionel Bringuier
• Robert Spano
• Juanjo Mena
• Antonio Pappano
• Ludovic Morlot
• Sian Edwards
• Jun Markl
• Ingo Metzmacher
• Jac van Steen
• Mark Wigglesworth
• Simone Young 
• David Robertson
• Peter Oundjian as of the end of 2017-18
• Philippe Auguin
• Kwame Ryan
• Ilan Volkov
• Aleksandr Markovic
• Lothar Koenigs
• Henrik Nanasi
• Carlos Kalmar

And closed:

• To the astonishment of virtually everyone, San Francisco Symphony signs Esa-Pekka Salonen, starting in 2020-21, with a five-year contract.
• Toronto SO: Gustavo Gimeno becomes MD in 2020-21.
• Washington National Opera brings in Evan Rogister in a newly-created job, Principal Conductor, from this season, 2018-19, through 2021-22. 
• Oslo Philharmonic: Klaus Makela becomes their chief conductor in 2020
• Dresden Philharmonic: Marek Janowski becomes their chief conductor in 2019 
• Royal Philharmonic has named Vassily Petrenko as their chief conductor, as of 2021
• Ken-David Masur becomes MD of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in 2019-20, announced November, 2018.
• Zurich Opera: Gianandrea Noseda becomes music director in 2021, following the departure of Fabio Luisi.
• Dallas Symphony: Fabio Luisi assumes the position of Music Director in 2019-20. He has an initial five-year contract.
• Orchestra of St. Luke's: Bernard Labadie starts with the 2018-2019 season 
• Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra: Thomas Zehetmair starts with the 2018-2019 season
• BBC Concert Orchestra: Bramwell Tovey started in 2018 
• Toledo Symphony: Alain Trudel starts with the 2018-2019 season
• Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich: Paavo Jarvi starts with the 2019-2020 season
• Netherlands Radio Philharmonic: Karina Canellakis starts with the 2019-2020 season 
• Sylvain Cambreling has replaced the late Sir Jeffrey Tate at the Hamburg Symphony
• San Diego Symphony: Rafael Payare starts in 2019 
• Yomiuri Nippon Symphony: Sebastian Weigle starts in April 2019
• Vienna RSO: Marin Alsop starts with the 2019-2020 season
• Elim Chan becomes chief conductor of the Antwerp Symphony in 2019-20
• Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra: Jaime Martin starts with the 2019-2020 season 
• Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège: Gergely Madaras starts with the 2019-2020 season 
• Kent Nagano is now the Generalmusikdirektor of the Staatsoper in Hamburg
• WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne: Cristian Măcelaru starts with the 2019-2020 season
• Israel Philharmonic: Lahav Shani starts with the 2020-2021 season 
• Bayerische Staatsoper when Vladimir Jurowski joins in 2021.
• Vienna Symphony: Andrés Orozco-Estrada starts with the 2021-2022 season
• Clarinetist Martin Frøst becomes chief conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra in 2019 when Thomas Dausgaard leaves for Seattle.Thomas Zehetmair is going to the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra in 2019
• Matthias Bamert is going to the Sapporo Symphony in 2018 
• Lorenzo Viotti was named music director of the Gulbenkian Orchestra, as of 2018
• Joana Mallwitz appointed GMD in Nuremberg, effective 2018
• Philippe Jordan to the Vienna Staatsoper / VPO (Dominique Meyer not planning to appoint a WSO MD; his contract expires in 2020.)
• Semyon! Bychkov! fills the vacancy at the Czech Philharmonic, following the death of Jiří Bělohlávek
• Dennis Russell Davies becomes music director of the Brno Philharmonic, which had been open since 2015, as of the 2018-19 season.
• Nicola Luisotti is now Associate Director of the Teatro Real, Madrid, not "assistant music director". My bad.
• Seattle Symphony, where Thomas Dausgaard will succeed Ludovic Morlot in 2018-19; announced early October, 2016
• Vancouver Symphony; Otto Tausk comes on in 2018
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Vasily Petrenko becomes their music director in 2021
• Dresden Philharmonic: Marek Janowski becomes their chief conductor in 2019 (round 2 for him there)
• Oslo Philharmonic: Klaus Makela becomes their chief conductor in 2020

Finns on the Move

A big week here:

• San Francisco Symphony signs Esa-Pekka Salonen, an amazing coup.
• Osmo Vänskä to leave the Minnesota Orchestra in 2022.

What's Susanna Mälkki up to???

Updated list of openings, etc.:

• Orchestre National de Lyon: open now, with Leonard Slatkin's departure
• Opera North: open now, with Aleksandr Markovic's departure
• Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: 2017 is Stephen Lord's final season as MD
• Teatro Regio Turin: Open now with departure of Gianandrea Noseda 
• Minnesota Opera: Michael Christie leaves this year 
• Sao Paulo Symphony: Marin Alsop leaves at some point
• BBC Philharmonic when Juanjo Mena leaves at the end of 2017-18
• Berkeley Symphony, when Joana Carneiro leaves at the end of 2017-18
• Washington National Opera, departure of Philippe Auguin at conclusion of 2017-18 
• San Francisco Opera, departure of Nicola Luisotti at conclusion of 2017-18
• Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which Leonard Slatkin leaves at the close of the 2017-18 season.
• MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony: 2018 departure for Kristian Jarvi
• Scottish Chamber Orchestra: 2018 departure for Robin Ticciati
• Toronto SO: 2018 departure for Peter Oundjian
• Winnipeg SO: 2018 departure for Alexander Mickelthwate
• Orchestre de Paris, when Daniel Harding leaves at the end of 2018-19
• Sarasota Orchestra after Anu Tali  leaves at the end of 2018-2019
• Melbourne Symphony: Sir Andrew Davis leaves at the end of 2019 
• Ulster Orchestra: Rafael Payare leaves in 2019
• Richmond Symphony: Steven Smith leaves in 2019 
• Singapore Symphony: 2019 departure for Lan Shui
• Sydney Symphony Orchestra: David Robertson will be leaving the SSO at the end of 2019. So he really will be without an orchestral home as of 1/1/2020.
• Montreal Symphony Orchestra: Kent Nagano is leaving the OSM after 2019-2020. 
• Fort Worth Symphony: Miguel Harth-Bedoya leaves in 2020 
• Royal Opera, when Antonio Pappano leaves in 2020
• Opera de Paris, when Philippe Jordan leaves in 2020
• Atlanta Symphony, when Robert Spano leaves in 2020
• Virginia Symphony: JoAnn Falletta leaves in 2020
•  Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra: Nicholas McGegan steps down as music director in 2020 
• BBC National Orchestra of Wales when Thomas Søndergård leaves for his new job
• Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
• Philharmonia Orchestra, when Esa-Pekka Salonen leaves at the end of the 2020-2021 season.
• Oregon Symphony, when Carlos Kalmar leaves at the end of the 2020-21 season.
• Minnesota Orchestra, when Osmo Vänskä leaves in 2022.

Conductors looking for jobs (that is, as of the near future, or now, they do not have a posting):

• Lionel Bringuier
• Robert Spano
• Juanjo Mena
• Antonio Pappano
• Ludovic Morlot
• Sian Edwards
• Jun Markl
• Ingo Metzmacher
• Jac van Steen
• Mark Wigglesworth
• Simone Young 
• David Robertson
• Peter Oundjian as of the end of 2017-18
• Philippe Auguin
• Kwame Ryan
• Ilan Volkov
• Aleksandr Markovic
• Lothar Koenigs
• Henrik Nanasi
• Carlos Kalmar

And closed:

• San Francisco Symphony signs Esa-Pekka Salonen, starting in 2020-21, with a five-year contract.
• Oslo Philharmonic: Klaus Makela becomes their chief conductor in 2020
• Dresden Philharmonic: Marek Janowski becomes their chief conductor in 2019 
• Royal Philharmonic has named Vassily Petrenko as their chief conductor, as of 2021
• Ken-David Masur becomes MD of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in 2019-20, announced November, 2018.
• Zurich Opera: Gianandrea Noseda becomes music director in 2021, following the departure of Fabio Luisi.
• Dallas Symphony: Fabio Luisi assumes the position of Music Director in 2019-20. He has an initial five-year contract.
• Orchestra of St. Luke's: Bernard Labadie starts with the 2018-2019 season 
• Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra: Thomas Zehetmair starts with the 2018-2019 season
• BBC Concert Orchestra: Bramwell Tovey started in 2018 
• Toledo Symphony: Alain Trudel starts with the 2018-2019 season
• Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich: Paavo Jarvi starts with the 2019-2020 season
• Netherlands Radio Philharmonic: Karina Canellakis starts with the 2019-2020 season 
• Sylvain Cambreling has replaced the late Sir Jeffrey Tate at the Hamburg Symphony
• San Diego Symphony: Rafael Payare starts in 2019 
• Yomiuri Nippon Symphony: Sebastian Weigle starts in April 2019
• Vienna RSO: Marin Alsop starts with the 2019-2020 season
• Elim Chan becomes chief conductor of the Antwerp Symphony in 2019-20
• Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra: Jaime Martin starts with the 2019-2020 season 
• Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège: Gergely Madaras starts with the 2019-2020 season 
• Kent Nagano is now the Generalmusikdirektor of the Staatsoper in Hamburg
• WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne: Cristian Măcelaru starts with the 2019-2020 season
• Israel Philharmonic: Lahav Shani starts with the 2020-2021 season 
• Bayerische Staatsoper when Vladimir Jurowski joins in 2021.
• Vienna Symphony: Andrés Orozco-Estrada starts with the 2021-2022 season
• Clarinetist Martin Frøst becomes chief conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra in 2019 when Thomas Dausgaard leaves for Seattle.Thomas Zehetmair is going to the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra in 2019
• Matthias Bamert is going to the Sapporo Symphony in 2018 
• Lorenzo Viotti was named music director of the Gulbenkian Orchestra, as of 2018
• Joana Mallwitz appointed GMD in Nuremberg, effective 2018
• Philippe Jordan to the Vienna Staatsoper / VPO (Dominique Meyer not planning to appoint a WSO MD; his contract expires in 2020.)
• Semyon! Bychkov! fills the vacancy at the Czech Philharmonic, following the death of Jiří Bělohlávek
• Dennis Russell Davies becomes music director of the Brno Philharmonic, which had been open since 2015, as of the 2018-19 season.
• Nicola Luisotti is now Associate Director of the Teatro Real, Madrid, not "assistant music director". My bad.
• Seattle Symphony, where Thomas Dausgaard will succeed Ludovic Morlot in 2018-19; announced early October, 2016
• Vancouver Symphony; Otto Tausk comes on in 2018
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Vasily Petrenko becomes their music director in 2021
• Dresden Philharmonic: Marek Janowski becomes their chief conductor in 2019 (round 2 for him there)
• Oslo Philharmonic: Klaus Makela becomes their chief conductor in 2020

Important Things We Learned

Among the hubub of news about Esa-Pekka Salonen signing on, it's important to note that we've learned some important and interesting things about SFS CEO Mark Hanson. He has kept a pretty low profile since his arrival in 2017; we now know that:

• He can negotiate a new contract with the musicians with no fuss at all.
• He can hire Esa-Pekka Salonen. Many people were involved; he was on the team and surely one of the leaders. So he can work well with a team.
• He will support a wide range of forward-looking initiatives under Salonen.

Conductors on the Move

Updates from a reader! Thank you, George.

• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Vasily Petrenko becomes their music director in 2021
• Dresden Philharmonic: Marek Janowski becomes their chief conductor in 2019 (round 2 for him there)
• Oslo Philharmonic: Klaus Makela becomes their chief conductor in 2020
• Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra: Nicholas McGegan steps down as music director in 2020 

I really can't believe that I never posted about McGegan, who is an institution in the Bay Area, having been MD of Philharmonia Baroque for, uh, 30 years? More? He's really good and I've enjoyed his work in 19th c. music as well.

Updated list of openings, etc.:

• Orchestre National de Lyon: open now, with Leonard Slatkin's departure
• Opera North: open now, with Aleksandr Markovic's departure
• Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: 2017 is Stephen Lord's final season as MD
• Teatro Regio Turin: Open now with departure of Gianandrea Noseda 
• Minnesota Opera: Michael Christie leaves this year 
• Sao Paulo Symphony: Marin Alsop leaves at some point
• BBC Philharmonic when Juanjo Mena leaves at the end of 2017-18
• Berkeley Symphony, when Joana Carneiro leaves at the end of 2017-18
• Washington National Opera, departure of Philippe Auguin at conclusion of 2017-18 
• San Francisco Opera, departure of Nicola Luisotti at conclusion of 2017-18
• Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which Leonard Slatkin leaves at the close of the 2017-18 season.
• MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony: 2018 departure for Kristian Jarvi
• Scottish Chamber Orchestra: 2018 departure for Robin Ticciati
• Toronto SO: 2018 departure for Peter Oundjian
• Winnipeg SO: 2018 departure for Alexander Mickelthwate
• Orchestre de Paris, when Daniel Harding leaves at the end of 2018-19
• Sarasota Orchestra after Anu Tali  leaves at the end of 2018-2019
• Melbourne Symphony: Sir Andrew Davis leaves at the end of 2019 
• Ulster Orchestra: Rafael Payare leaves in 2019
• Richmond Symphony: Steven Smith leaves in 2019 
• Singapore Symphony: 2019 departure for Lan Shui
• Sydney Symphony Orchestra: David Robertson will be leaving the SSO at the end of 2019. So he really will be without an orchestral home as of 1/1/2020.
• San Francisco Symphony! when MTT leaves at the end of 2019-20
• Montreal Symphony Orchestra: Kent Nagano is leaving the OSM after 2019-2020. 
• Fort Worth Symphony: Miguel Harth-Bedoya leaves in 2020 
• Royal Opera, when Antonio Pappano leaves in 2020
• Opera de Paris, when Philippe Jordan leaves in 2020
• Atlanta Symphony, when Robert Spano leaves in 2020
• Virginia Symphony: JoAnn Falletta leaves in 2020
•  Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra: Nicholas McGegan steps down as music director in 2020 
• BBC National Orchestra of Wales when Thomas Søndergård leaves for his new job
• Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
• Philharmonia Orchestra, when Esa-Pekka Salonen leaves at the end of the 2020-2021 season.
• Oregon Symphony, when Carlos Kalmar leaves at the end of the 2020-21 season.

Conductors looking for jobs (that is, as of the near future, or now, they do not have a posting):

• Lionel Bringuier
• Robert Spano
• Juanjo Mena
• Antonio Pappano
• Ludovic Morlot
• Sian Edwards
• Jun Markl
• Ingo Metzmacher
• Jac van Steen
• Mark Wigglesworth
• Simone Young 
• David Robertson
• Peter Oundjian as of the end of 2017-18
• Philippe Auguin
• Kwame Ryan
• Ilan Volkov
• Aleksandr Markovic
• Lothar Koenigs
• Henrik Nanasi
• Esa-Pekka Salonen
• Carlos Kalmar

And closed:

• Oslo Philharmonic: Klaus Makela becomes their chief conductor in 2020
• Dresden Philharmonic: Marek Janowski becomes their chief conductor in 2019 
• Royal Philharmonic has named Vassily Petrenko as their chief conductor, as of 2021
• Ken-David Masur becomes MD of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in 2019-20, announced November, 2018.
• Zurich Opera: Gianandrea Noseda becomes music director in 2021, following the departure of Fabio Luisi.
• Dallas Symphony: Fabio Luisi assumes the position of Music Director in 2019-20. He has an initial five-year contract.
• Orchestra of St. Luke's: Bernard Labadie starts with the 2018-2019 season 
• Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra: Thomas Zehetmair starts with the 2018-2019 season
• BBC Concert Orchestra: Bramwell Tovey started in 2018 
• Toledo Symphony: Alain Trudel starts with the 2018-2019 season
• Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich: Paavo Jarvi starts with the 2019-2020 season
• Netherlands Radio Philharmonic: Karina Canellakis starts with the 2019-2020 season 
• Sylvain Cambreling has replaced the late Sir Jeffrey Tate at the Hamburg Symphony
• San Diego Symphony: Rafael Payare starts in 2019 
• Yomiuri Nippon Symphony: Sebastian Weigle starts in April 2019
• Vienna RSO: Marin Alsop starts with the 2019-2020 season
• Elim Chan becomes chief conductor of the Antwerp Symphony in 2019-20
• Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra: Jaime Martin starts with the 2019-2020 season 
• Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège: Gergely Madaras starts with the 2019-2020 season 
• Kent Nagano is now the Generalmusikdirektor of the Staatsoper in Hamburg
• WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne: Cristian Măcelaru starts with the 2019-2020 season
• Israel Philharmonic: Lahav Shani starts with the 2020-2021 season 
• Bayerische Staatsoper when Vladimir Jurowski joins in 2021.
• Vienna Symphony: Andrés Orozco-Estrada starts with the 2021-2022 season
• Clarinetist Martin Frøst becomes chief conductor of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra in 2019 when Thomas Dausgaard leaves for Seattle.Thomas Zehetmair is going to the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra in 2019
• Matthias Bamert is going to the Sapporo Symphony in 2018 
• Lorenzo Viotti was named music director of the Gulbenkian Orchestra, as of 2018
• Joana Mallwitz appointed GMD in Nuremberg, effective 2018
• Philippe Jordan to the Vienna Staatsoper / VPO (Dominique Meyer not planning to appoint a WSO MD; his contract expires in 2020.)
• Semyon! Bychkov! fills the vacancy at the Czech Philharmonic, following the death of Jiří Bělohlávek
• Dennis Russell Davies becomes music director of the Brno Philharmonic, which had been open since 2015, as of the 2018-19 season.
• Nicola Luisotti is Associate Director of the Teatro Real, Madrid, not "assistant music director".
• Seattle Symphony, where Thomas Dausgaard will succeed Ludovic Morlot in 2018-19; announced early October, 2016
• Vancouver Symphony; Otto Tausk comes on in 2018