I hadn't even realized this was an open spot, but Juraj Valčuha will succeed Andrés Orozco-Estrada as music director of the Houston Symphony in the 2022-23 season.
Open positions:
A to-the-point press release that came in this morning:
San Francisco, CA, August 11, 2021 – The inaugural Golden Gate Jazz Festival—announced for August 27-29, 2021 at the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco—has been postponed, and new dates will be announced. The Festival is being rescheduled out of concern for health and safety amid ongoing changes in local COVID-19 guidelines and requirements for public events. Tickets will be automatically refunded by the ticket vendor, City Box Office. Ticket buyers can contact City Box Office for more information about refunds by emailing info@cityboxoffice.com.
Dammit. It didn't have to be this way.
If you're tempted to tangle with Heather MacDonald, directly or indirectly, over her recent awful article (part 1 of 2!), I advise ignoring her. Folks with her beliefs can't be persuaded; the only reason to engage with her or what she writes is for bystanders.
Around ten years ago, she and Greg Sandow had a dust-up and Greg wound up writing five articles, a tremendous waste of his time. I wrote about that exchange myself and mentioned her here and here. Seriously, don't bother.
Michael Tilson ThomasPhoto by Brandon Patoc, courtesy of San Francisco Symphony
Well, damn: a note sent by the San Francisco Symphony brings the unfortunate news that MTT has been diagnosed with a brain tumor:
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Well, OKAY, this is a good-looking 2022 season:
I've been to two of this year's three operas at West Edge Opera. I can't report on the third because I'm attending its last performance and my report will be worthless to you. But here's what I thought of the first two:
Elizabeth Cree, by Kevin Puts to a libretto by Mark Campbell.
A new review of mine at SFVC, of the collaborative opera miniseries desert in. It's very cool! Go see it (in the comfort of your own home)!
You may have seen a few cast changes like this one before:
Concert Update: Cellist Joshua Roman joins the San Francisco Symphony and conductor Lina González-Granados in concerts on July 30 at Davies Symphony Hall and July 31 at Frost Amphitheater. He replaces the previously announced Pablo Ferrández, who is unable to perform these concerts due to visa and travel complications. The concert program remains the same and features Robert Schumann’s Cello Concerto with Mr. Roman, along with music from Manuel de Falla’s ballet The Three-Cornered Hat and Zoltán Kodály’s Dances of Galánta.
Sigh. San Francisco Opera announced today that their longtime chorus director, Ian Robertson, is retiring at the end of this year. He started with the organization in 1987, which probably makes him the longest-serving person on the music staff. He has outlast four general directors and three music directors:
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA CHORUS IN CONCERT: CELEBRATING IAN ROBERTSON
Saturday, December 11 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 12 at 2 pm
Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater
Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera
Veterans Building (4th floor), 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
General admission: $39
Chorus Director Ian Robertson, conductor
San Francisco Opera Chorus
The concert program highlights beloved opera choruses by Mozart, Puccini and Verdi and more contemporary works by Florence Beatrice Price, Joan Szymko and Kate Rusby.
To purchase tickets, call the San Francisco Opera Box Office at (415) 864-3330. Additional information can be found at sfopera.com/chorusconcert.
Update: Joshua Kosman covers the story, chats with Robertson and others.
Press release after the break.
A dismaying press release from the Merola Opera, SFO's young singer training program. This sounds....bad:
Based on an abundance of caution the acclaimed Merola Opera Program has announced a programming update for its Merola Grand Finale, to be presented live July 31 atthe Golden Gate Park Bandshell. Following an occurrence in which artist health and safety COVID protocols were compromised by a number of participants, the decision has been made to prioritize the well-being of young artists, faculty, staff, and other participating artists, and to proceed with a reduced number of onsite participants and a greater focus on virtual training for the duration of this year’s program.
After exploring numerous possible alternatives, it has been determined that this difficult step would help ensure the safest environment for the final week and a half of the summer training program and the Merola Grand Finale. Says Jean Kellogg, Executive Director of the Merola Opera Program, “It was a heartbreaking decision, but the safety of our young artists and production team is paramount.”
I mean...health and safety protocols compromised by a number of participants? A wild party of some kind? People drinking to excess? Everybody leaving their masks home? Ouch, in any event. The press release continues:
The public will still have the opportunity to enjoy a free outdoor performance featuring outstanding young artists from the Merola Opera Program performing a thrilling array of selections from some of opera’s most brilliant works. The Merola Grand Finale will be presented at 2:00pm, Saturday, July 31, at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell, John F. Kennedy Drive and Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco. Admission is FREE and open to the public. (Limited reserved seating is available for Merola members Gold Circle and above.)
All Merola participants can be seen next month in “Back Home: Through the Stage Door,” a digital production filmed on location in early July at the historic Herbst Theatre, with the entire 2021 Merola ensemble performing classics and lesser known gems. Free on-demand streaming of “Back Home: Through the Stage Door” will be available to Merola members beginning August 13, and free to the public beginning August 27. For more information or to become a Merola member, visit www.merola.org.
San Francisco Opera Center Artistic Director Carrie-Ann Matheson and General Manager Markus Beam noted, “The health and well-being of our artists, faculty, and staff has been and must remain our top priority,” adding that some participants will continue their Merola summer training virtually. The 2021 Merola Stage Director Audrey Chait, as originally announced, will direct the Merola Grand Finale.
Oh, now, this is a big shock:
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—On behalf of the San Francisco Symphony, President Priscilla B. Geeslin announced today that the Board of Governors has accepted Mark C. Hanson’s resignation from his position as Chief Executive Officer, effective August 31, 2021.Mark Hanson stated, “The San Francisco Symphony is a dynamic organization, and it has been a true honor to lead them through complex transitions and challenges. With the San Francisco Symphony now back up and performing as a full ensemble for live audiences following our successful pandemic pivots, I have decided that this is the right time to pursue my next professional opportunity within a different environment. I am proud of what we have been able to achieve over the past four years: from implementing a multi-year financial plan that put the organization on a path to restoring stability and establishing a multi-constituency Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Workgroup; to successfully celebrating the conclusion of Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas’ tenure, and more recently engaging new Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen.”San Francisco Symphony President Priscilla Geeslin said, “The Board fully understands Mark’s decision and thanks him for his steadfast work with appreciation for the experience, commitment, and passion with which he led the San Francisco Symphony over the past four years. We wish him all the best as he moves on.”To ensure continuity moving forward, Matthew Spivey has been appointed Interim CEO. Spivey is currently Chief Programming Officer of the San Francisco Symphony and has been with the organization for five years.
Here's a CEO who didn't have labor problems, made the most unexpected and fabulous music director hire, and kept the orchestra moving through the pandemic. I'm really flabbergasted. I mean, I sincerely hope that there isn't Bad Stuff we don't know about behind this change. (Update: I would like to note that if there were Bad Stuff, it's probable that he would have been fired and walked out of Davies immediately.)
Updated: Looks as though Joshua Kosman had an hour's lead on this, that is, not much more than the rest of us.
Apprentice Singer Kathryn Henry will assume the role of Lucy Harker inJohn Corigliano and Mark Adamo’s world premiere opera The Lord of Cries opening on Saturday, July 17, replacing Susanna Phillips.
The rest of the press release is about the opera, the season, cast changes announced previously, etc. The above doesn't include anything about why Phillips is being replaced, not even the usual "...has withdrawn for personal reasons."
The last time I can remember a singer leaving a production this close to opening for reasons other than illness or injury was back in 2007, when David Gockley fired Hope Briggs from that season's Don Giovanni right after the dress rehearsal, with Elza van den Heever (who was then an Adler Fellow) stepping in to replace her.
Update, July 21, 2021: Apparently there is an update of some kind attributing Phillips's departure to the ubiquitous "personal reasons."
