Friday Photo

Boston Public Library

Main Branch, Copley Square

Boston, MA

April, 2025

 

Museum Mondays

Portrait of Inger Marie Munch, by Edward Munch

Fogg Museum, Harvard

Cambridge, MA

April, 2025

 

MTT 80

Davies Symphony Hall

April 26, 2025

Back in 2021, MTT announced that he was being treated for a brain tumor, and followed up in 2022 to say that it was a glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive and extremely serious cancer.

He has conducted at SFS and elsewhere since the fall of 2021, and when he led Mahler's Fifth Symphony in January, 2024, it seemed those would be his last concerts with SFS, an orchestra that he built into a great ensemble over the course of 25 years as its music director.

But now he's retiring from conducting, owing to a recurrence of the brain tumor. On April 26, the San Francisco Symphony held a concert in honor of his 80th birthday. It was a bittersweet occasion, marked by great love and affection for MTT and sadness at his farewell to conducting and to this orchestra. The conductor is frail and I was deeply touched to see the care with which Joshua Robison, MTT's husband (and partner since the 1970s), Edwin Outwater, and Teddy Abrams accompanied MTT on and off stage. It's what anyone would have been honored to do, I feel.

But MTT's sense of humor and determination are what they always have been–he called for a drumroll, to much laughter, as he mounted the podium for Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. 

The program didn't have any Mahler or Stravinsky–composers he conducted with such flair over so many years–but nonetheless it was a program that suited him. The Respighi and Britten were predictably excellent, full of color and spirit and fun for him.

I loved hearing various songs he's written over the years, deeply influenced by Broadway and the Great American Songbook, with marvelous performances by Sasha Cooke, Ben Jones, Frederick von Stade, and Jessica Vosk. The singers were all wonderful, and nearing 80 herself, Flicka remains a great artist. It was a special pleasure to hear her again, her patrician phrasing and beautiful French in Debussy's "La flute de Pan," from Cahnson de Bilitis, with an equally great contribution from pianist John Wilson.

The concert closed with a lot of clapping and chanting "MTT" rhythmically to MTT's arrangement of the Bar Mitzvah Waltz. And then there was a balloon drop, of blue balloons.

Here are the program and participants:

Michael Tilson Thomas conductor

Teddy Abrams conductor 

Edwin Outwater conductor 

Sasha Cooke vocalist 

Ben Jones vocalist 

Frederica von Stade vocalist

Jessica Vosk vocalist  

San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Jenny Wong director  

San Francisco Symphony

BENJAMIN BRITTEN The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra  

JOSEPH RUMSHINSKY (arr. Michael Tilson Thomas) Overture from Khantshe in Amerike 

MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS “Immer wieder” from Meditations on Rilke 

MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS (orch. Bruce Coughlin) “Not Everyone Thinks That I’m Beautiful” 

CLAUDE DEBUSSY “La flûte de Pan” from Chansons de Bilitis  

MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS (orch. MTT/Bruce Coughlin) “Drift Off to Sleep” 

MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS (orch. MTT/Bruce Coughlin) “Answered Prayers” 

FRANK LOESSER “Take Back Your Mink” from Guys and Dolls 

MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS (orch. MTT/Larry Moore) “Sentimental Again”  

MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS “Grace” 

LEONARD BERNSTEIN Finale from Chichester Psalms 

OTTORINO RESPIGHI Roman Festivals  

"Some Other Time" from Leonard Bernstein's On The Town (lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green)

 

MTT's arrangement of Arnold Perlmutter and Herman Wohl's Bar Mitzvah March, which was part of MTT's The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of a Life in the Yiddish Theater

Elsewhere:

• Tony Bravo, SF Chronicle. Wonderful reporting, capturing the spirit of the concert perfectly.
• Michael Zwiebach, SFCV
• Gabe Meline, KQED
• Mark B., 48Hills

Seoul Festival, Los Angeles Philharmonic

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

I've got a listing in my inbox for upcoming LA Philharmonic concerts, and it's the kind of thing that makes me weep, because we used to have great festivals at the San Francisco Symphony. They are no more, and now we've got the aimless 2025-26 season coming up and I'm wishing I lived in Los Angeles. (As my friend Mr. CKDH once said to me, "LA is a great place to live, but you wouldn't want to visit." I kinda disagree–I love visiting LA–while also understanding what he means.)

Anyway, the Seoul Festival is finally coming to WDCH. It was originally scheduled for the spring of 2021, and you know what was going on then. I'm sure you can tell that it's a series of concerts and events focussed on (South) Korean composers, performers, and music. It makes so much sense for the LA Phil to do, considering that Los Angeles has the largest population of Koreans outside Korea. 

You can see the full listings on the LA Phil's web site, but let me just say that the festival includes a chamber music concert by the LA Phil New Music Group curated by the great composer Unsuk Chin; works by composers Kay Kyurim Rhie and Texu Kim on an orchestral program curated by Chin and conducted by Hankyeol Yoon; Chin's Clarinet Concerto on another program conducted by Hankyeol Yoon; and a chamber music concert featuring the Novus String Quartet and pianist Do-Hyun Kim.

It promises to be quite a series.

 

Friday Photo

Mount Auburn Cemetery

Cambridge, MA

April, 2025

 

SFS Musicians Demonstration Tonight

Davies Symphony Hall

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

Press release from the musicians' union's publicist:

SAN FRANCISCO—On Thursday, May 8th, the Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony will host a demonstration to call attention to ongoing negotiations with Symphony management for a new, fair contract after more than a year without a long-term contract. The demonstration will take place ahead of the Symphony’s movie with a live orchestra event, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. 

 

The ongoing contract discussions center around compensation, organizational leadership, programming, and the financial health of the institution. A year after the high-profile and unexpected departure of the Symphony’s music director due to disagreements with management and the board, there is still no new announced music director, no plan to resume touring, no plan to restore programming, and no plan from the board to fundraise or increase philanthropy. 

 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Musicians accepted pay reductions to support the organization. As of May 2025, these salaries have not been fully restored to pre-pandemic levels. The Musicians are the only group among peer orchestras whose pay has not been fully reinstated post-pandemic. Yet, Symphony management has restored their salaries to pre-pandemic levels and increased spending on administrative costs.

 

While Symphony management initially reported a 10-year deficit of $116 million, this figure did not account for growth in net assets deemed "restricted" or COVID-19 relief funding. However, the Symphony's net assets have grown by $106 million over the same 10-year period, totaling $375 million. Their updated calculations now suggest a deficit of only $46 million over 15 years. 

 

The Musicians are seeking: 

• Fair Compensation: Restoration of salaries to levels promised in the 2018 contract, adjusted for inflation, to remain competitive with peer institutions.
• Artistic Leadership: Appointment of a world-class music director with board support for their artistic vision.
• Program Restoration: Reinstatement of cut programming and touring activities.
• Financial Transparency and Fundraising: A commitment from the board to proactive fundraising efforts and transparent financial practices to ensure the Symphony's sustainability.

 

The Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony are committed to preserving the institution's legacy of excellence. The Musicians are seeking a fair contract and a collaborative approach to address the current challenges while ensuring the Symphony's continued success and world-class status. 

 

The Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony will be available for comment on the ongoing contract negotiations at the demonstration. For more information and updates, please visit sfsmusicians.org or visit the Musicians Instagram @sfsymphonymusicians.

 

Event Details:

Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102

When: Thursday, May 8, 2025  from 6:15PM to 7:15PM

RSVP: Email Julia Forrest (julia@lh-pa.com) 

 

Music Executive Updates

• Soprano Patricia Racette becomes the Artistic Director of the Opera Theater of St. Louis in October, 2025, succeeding James Robinson, who is now the artistic and general director of Seattle Opera. 
• Gillian Fox becomes CEO and Executive Director of Caramoor, effective June 9, 2025.

Recently appointed:

• Ryan Fleur to the Philadelphia Orchestra, commencing April, 2025
• Gary Ginstling appointed CEO of the Houston Symphony, commencing Feb. 3, 2025
• Terry D. Loftis appointed CEO of the New Jersey Symphony, commencing March, 2025
• Matias Tarnopolsky to the NY Philharmonic, commencing January 1, 2025

Open positions:

• Minnesota Orchestra, following Michelle Miller Burns's move to Dallas. (Brent Assink is currently acting CEO of the orchestra.)
• Cincinnati Symphony, following the retirement of Jonathan Martin in February, 2025
• St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, after Jon Limbacher retires next year

Summer Opera Training for Youth

Two Bay Area opera companies have what look like great programs for youth.

• San Francisco Opera: Summer Conservatory. For youth ages 10-18, all levels (I presume that means beginner to advanced.) July 7-25; M-F 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $1,600; scholarships available for qualifying students.
• Opera San José: The Singers' Academy. For "high school students ages 14 – 18 looking to refine their vocal technique and stage presence." July 21-26. $1,250; payment plans available on request; ask if you need financial help to attend.

Museum Mondays

Head of a King, from the Left Portal of the Church of Saint-Denis, Paris

Twelfth Century

Head torn from body during the French Revolution

Now in the Fogg Museum, Harvard

Cambridge, MA

April, 2025

 

Friday Photo

College of Physicians of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA

April, 2025

 

Composer Kurt Rohde's Open Letter to SFS

Composer Kurt Rohde, artistic advisor to Left Coast Chamber Ensemble (and one of its founders), professor of music at UC Davis, violist, has sent this letter to SFS. I reproduce it here with his permission. Robert Commanday, longtime music journalist at the Chronicle and founder of San Francisco Classical Voice, used to editorialize about the orchestra's neglect of (with some exceptions) Bay Area composers, a varied and hugely talented group.

To the Management and Board of Governors of the San Francisco Symphony; 

 

As the 2024-25 season draws to a close, and the 2025–26 season has been announced, all of which is happening alongside the final concerts by treasured Music Director Laureate Michael Tilson Thomas and the departure of current music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, the San Francisco Symphony is entering an obvious transition that is clearly asking “Where are we now, and where do we want to go?”

I am a composer/performer who has lived in the Bay Area for 33 years. I am part of a community of composers who live, work, and do incredible music making that is largely unacknowledged and rarely gets “above the radar.” I am fully aware of the mechanisms of operation and the culture of leadership inside longstanding historically relevant institutions like the SFS. While like many others, I have numerous questions surrounding the SFS’s management choices made over the last couple of years, I understand and accept that a voice such as mine (which is in fact, no voice at all given the sphere in which you operate, and I don’t) carries little influence regarding those issues. You have a well-compensated staff that makes decisions that they feel are in the best interest regarding the health of the SFS – decisions which reflect the SFS’s artistic vision and overall commitment to the community you serve.

I am writing regarding the transition period that you are now entering, and the possibilities it affords. The SFS is a world-class performing organization that sits at the epicenter of our musical performance community. It is well-supported, well-covered, well-attended, and maintains a significant endowment. The model for an ensemble of this kind has evolved over the decades; one has only to look towards much smaller orchestras to see the range of innovative approaches to musicking, or to storied institutions like the LA Philharmonic or New York Philharmonic and see how gatekeeping institutions can thrive through change, especially by centering their own home-grown communities.

By comparison, the SFS has historically practiced a near complete lack of attention and support towards the numerous Bay Area composers making exceptional work, many of whom have exciting careers everywhere outside San Francisco, who have received important attention and support, and who have been doing so for decades. This is not to say you are not centering important composer voices. There are a small, select number composers that SFS amplifies through repeated performances of their works and the commissioning of new works. Those composers are deserving and supporting their work must be applauded. You are also doing essential work with the ongoing Emerging Black Composers Project, which is a long overdue basic step towards expanding the repertoire and musical experiences; like never before, this initiative needs to be supported in full for as long as possible. Nor do I want to bring it into my critique your now much reduced SoundBox series, which was initially the most dynamic new music offering that the SFS had ever undertaken since my arrival here over three decades ago. My critique is about the lack of support you have towards the creative community that surrounds you.

I can’t help but wonder every time a new SFS season is announced why the new works almost never include any of our significant unacknowledged new music voices from the Bay Area? There are so many of us making truly superb work! It is the SFS’s responsibility to get out and do the research to meet us where we are: You have the resources, and you have the responsibility to not just do better, but to do the bare minimum. Why is it that you do not seem to want to know what is going on in the SF new music community? Is it that we do not belong to the insular SFS network that largely relies on the oversight of our great American/Bay Area composer John Adams? Is it that we are not affiliated with gatekeeping institutions from the East Coast that carry a currency of prestige that Bay Area institutions are not afforded? Is it that there is a cultural provincialism inside of SFS whereby making an effort to investigate the community and encountering what’s being made creates the risk of having to present work by people that the public does not know? I’m not sure what the reasons are. But I do know that the facts are resoundingly confusing and consequentially frustrating.

A simple perusal of any number of composers working regularly and rigorously in the Bay Area from the ages of 20 to 80+ would reveal a constellation of extraordinary talent and art. Why can’t the SFS do something like the LA Phil’s Noon To Midnight Festival, or their more holistically integrated Green Umbrella series? Why can’t SFS have a series of commission projects that focus on an important historical event, like the New York Philharmonic’s Project 19 commissions? It is confounding. And it seems unnecessary given the wealth of our city, the wealth of your institution, the expertise your staff possesses, and the extraordinary range of people and experiences that are reflected in our creative community.

As you move forward with your transition over these next couple years, I urge you to reevaluate your vision and mission. I hope you understand that in order for an organization to thrive and endure, it must also evolve in a direction that not only undertakes renewal but also reevaluates the energy behind their purpose to do what they’re doing…the “WHAT & WHY” of the organization. Please do not just do what you’ve done before only to do it again: Do better by doing something new. To do something unforeseen and thrilling, and a little bit dangerous, can be breathtaking in ways your audiences and our community wants and needs, now more than ever. 

The ending of “In Ascension,” the remarkable novel by Martin MacInnes, concludes with a breathtaking anthem of ecstatic revelation. The novel’s protagonist is experiencing the most important transition in her life. She embraces her transition as the catalyst not just for renewal, but for the very rebirth of the act of becoming new. It reads: “And I’m glad at the end to be a part of this, intermediate in this, glad that everything I’ve seen and done, everything I’ve felt will be continuous in this, generative and fertile in this flux, cycles of transformation, not ending but beginning, beginning again as it always was and will be, new worlds and transformation, new eternities, new life, new.” 

This is the thrill when one understands and embraces the potential of the new! The SFS has so much potential! I urge you to explore and mine it differently than ever before, to look forward in a way that acknowledges and celebrates our region’s creative community. Please make the effort – give it your all – and show the music world what you stand for and why you are doing it. Please don’t let us have to rely on the fine work that the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic, or smaller, nimbler, and innovative orchestras are doing with their communities in order to experience a world class institution standing up, holding up, and showcasing the amazing talent that exists in their own backyard. We are ready.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kurt Rohde 

(he, him/they, them)

UC Davis, Dept. of Music, Professor of Music Composition

https://ucdavis.zoom.us/my/sfkurtrohde

 

www.KurtRohde.com

Artistic Director – Composers Conference

Artistic Advisor – Left Coast Chamber Ensemble

SoundCloud | YouTube | IG

Treemonisha in Orlando, FL

Opera Orlando has scheduled three performances of Scott Joplin's Treemonisha in the middle of May. If you're in Florida or you're comfortable traveling there, I'd consider this a must-see. The opera is a great rarity.

Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, May 18, 2:00 p.m.

Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission

TREEMONISHA | Taylor-Alexis Dupont
REMUS | Leo Williams
NED | Lloyd Reshard Jr.
MONISHA | NaGuanda Nobles
SIMON | Geoffrey Peterson
LUCY | Kristen Marie Gillis
PARSON ALLTALK | Thandolwethu Mamba
ZODZETRICK | Brian Love
STAGE DIRECTOR | Roberta Emerson
CONDUCTOR | Everett McCorvey

Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater

445 South Magnolia Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801

Bill & Mary Darden Box Office:
407.358.6603

If you're planning to go, I suggest buying tickets by phone. I could not get to a seat selection page when I clicked TICKETS anywhere on the site.

Museum Mondays

 

Siren

Italian, late 16th c.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

April, 2025

Conductor Updates Continued

Well, oops: I started this post back in March and never published it, probably because I didn't have a handy photo. What have I missed in the interim?

• James Gaffigan will leave his position at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia at the end of the 2024-25 season.
• Mark Elder succeeds Gaffigan.
• Kent Nagano named Chief Conductor and artistic director of the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España.
• Markus Poschner succeeds Marin Alsop at the Vienna Radio Orchestra.
• Alex Prior will be the next music director of the Eugene (Oregon) Symphony.
• Sarah Ioannides will leave Symphony Tacoma (Washington) in 2026.

Open positions:

• Boston Baroque, when Martin Pearlman leaves.
• Berkeley Symphony, when Joseph Young leaves.
• Milwaukee Symphony, when Ken-David Masur leaves.
• New Jersey Symphony, when Xian Zhang leaves at the end of the 2027-28 season.
• Ulster Orchestra, when Daniele Rustioni leaves
• Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, when Daniel Harding leaves
• Oslo Philharmonic, when Klaus Makela moves on in 2027
• Orchestre de Paris, when Klaus Makela moves on in 2027
• Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, when Santu-Matias Rouvali leaves in 2025
• Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra because of the departure of Lorenzo Viotti in 2025
• Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, because of the departure of Lorenzo Viotti in 2025
• Dutch National Opera, because of the departure of Lorenzo Viotti in 2025
• English National Opera
• Bergen Philharmonic
• LA. Opera, at the end of 2025-26
• San Francisco Symphony, at the end of 2024-25
• Phoenix Symphony
• Cleveland Orchestra, as of June, 2027
• Lahti Symphony, when Dalia Stasevka leaves.
• Antwerp Symphony, with the departure of Elim Chan.
• Paris Opera is currently without a music director.
• Nashville Symphony, when Giancarlo Guerrero leaves.
• Deutsche Oper Berlin, when Donald Runnicles leaves.
• Rottedam Philharmonic, when Lahav Shani leaves.
• Los Angeles Philharmonic, as of 2026-27, when Gustavo Dudamel leaves for NY.
• Teatro Regio Turin: Open now with departure of Gianandrea Noseda. The Teatro Regio has not named a new music director.
• Marin Symphony, at the end of 2022-23.
• Vienna Staatsoper, when Philippe Jordan leaves at the end of 2025.

Conductors looking for jobs (that is, as of the near future, or now, they do not have a posting). The big mystery, to me, is why an orchestra hasn't snapped up Susanna Mälkki. Slightly lesser mystery: Henrik Nanasi, whose superb Cosi fan tutte is still lingering in my ears.

• Ken-David Masur
• Joseph Young
• Kirill Karabits
• Marc Albrecht
• Markus Stenz
• Esa-Pekka Salonen, if he wants such a position again
• James Conlon, if he wants such a position again.
• Dalia Stasevska (though her contract at Lahti has been extended by a year)
• Elim Chan
• Kirill Karabits
• Tito Muñoz 
• Andrey Boreyko
• Osmo Vänskä
• Susanna Mälkki, who left the Helsinki Philharmonic at the end of 2022-23.
• MGT (apparently does not want a full-time job, as of early 2022)
• Miguel Harth-Bedoya (seems settled in at Baylor)
• Sian Edwards
• Ingo Metzmacher
• Jac van Steen
• Ilan Volkov
• Aleksandr Markovic
• Lothar Koenigs
• Henrik Nanasi
• Philippe Jordan, eventually
• Franz Welser-Möst, if he wants such a job

And closed:

• Utah Symphony, with the appointment of Markus Poschner.
• Bournemouth Symphony appoints Mark Wigglesworth as Chief Conductor (some time ago).
• Colorado Symphony appoints Peter Oundjian, effective with the 2025-26 season.
• Pacific Symphony appoints Alexander Shelley to succeed Carl St. Clair, starting with the 2026-27 season.
• Milwaukee Symphony, when Ken-David Masur leaves at the end of 2025-26.
• Seattle Symphony, with the appointment of Xian Zhang as of the 2025-26 season.
• Edward Gardner starts as music director of Norwegian National Opera this season,
• Sarasota Orchestra: Giancarlo Guerrero has been named music director, as of 2025.
• Hong Kong Philharmonic: Tarmo Peltokoski becomes music director in 2026.
• Tokyo Symphony, with the appointment of Lorenzo Viotti.
• Oakland Symphony, where Kedrick Armstrong succeeds the late Michael Morgan.
• Minnesota Opera: closed with the appointment of Christopher Franklin.
• The Chicago Symphony Orchestra gets to share Klaus Mäkelä with the Concertgebouw.
• The Hallé Orchestra's next conductor will be Kahchun Wong.
• Marin Alsop becomes principal guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, I believe succeeding Nathalie Stutzmann.
• Simon Rattle becomes principal guest conductor of the Czech Philharmonic.
• John Storgards will becomes chief conductor of the Turku Philharmonic.
• Update and correction: San Francisco Chamber Orchestra was unable to hire Cosette Justo Valdés. Instead, Jory Fankuchen, a violinist in the orchestra, has been named Principal Conductor and will lead this season's programs.
• Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: Cristian Mačelaru becomes music director in 2025.
• Indianapolis Symphony hires Jun Markel, effective September 1, 2024.
• Andris Nelsons renewed his contract with the Boston Symphony. He's now on an evergreen rolling contract, which will continue as long as he and the orchestra are happy with each other. MTT had one of these at SFS.
• Shanghai Symphony, with the appointment of Long Yu.
• Virginia Symphony, with the appointment of Eric Jacobsen.
• Warsaw Philharmonic, with the appointment of Krzysztof Urbański.
• Bern Symphony, with the appointment of Krzysztof Urbański.
• Berlin State Opera, with the appointment of Christian Thielemann.
• Dresden Philharmonic, with the appointment of Donald Runnicles.
• New York Philharmonic, with the appointment of Gustavo Dudamel. Note that Jaap van Zweden leaves in 2024 and there will be a two-season gap before Dudamel arrives.
• Helsinki Philharmonic: Jukka-Pekka Saraste to succeed Susanna Mälkki.
• Staatskapelle Dresden, with the appointment of Daniele Gatti.
• Seoul Philharmonic appoints Jaap van Zweden.
• Royal Opera appoints Jakub Hrůša to succeed Antonio Pappano.