“ ‘Youth is hot and bold,’ Shakespeare wrote. He might have also mentioned it’s highly marketable,” writes Colin Eatock in Sunday’s (11/25) Houston Chronicle. “Increasingly, the message ‘youth sells’ seems to be music to the ears of America’s symphony orchestras. And as orchestras grow ever more concerned about attracting new audiences, they’re increasingly looking to fresh-faced conductors to lead the way. … The latest major orchestra to appoint a noticeably young conductor is the Philadelphia Orchestra. In October, the celebrated but financially challenged orchestra (newly emerged from a year of bankruptcy protection) welcomed the 37-year-old Yannick Nézet-Séguin as its new music director. ‘The term “young conductor” has never really been defined,’ says Judith Kurnick, spokeswoman at the League of American Orchestras. … ‘So much of it has to do with our culture and our focus on youth. And what orchestras look for in a music director is a much broader job description than it was even a decade ago.’ … Youthful conductors currently leading American orchestras include Krzysztof Urbanski (30) in Indianapolis, Ludovic Morlot (38) in Seattle and Mei-Ann Chen in Memphis. But the young conductor who has attracted the most attention is Gustavo Dudamel. The Venezuelan was appointed as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra five years ago at the tender age of 29. Now that he’s firmly installed in LA, it’s apparent that the right young conductor can have a big impact on an orchestra and a community.”
Posted November 26, 2012
