“The music venue to be built at the Banks will be called the Andrew J. Brady Icon Music Center,” writes Steve Watkins in Wednesday’s (12/11) Cincinnati Business Courier. “Jonathan Martin, the president of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, announced the name Wednesday morning…. The venue, which has been dubbed ‘the Icon,’ is named for Brady, a 1938 graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music who taught music at Rothenberg Elementary in Over-the-Rhine before becoming music director at Western Hills High School…. He performed at well-known local concerts…. Brady died in 2004…. Music & Event Management Inc., a subsidiary of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, will own and operate the 4,500-seat facility that’s expected to cost $27 million to build. An adjoining park space would hold 8,000 people for outdoor concerts…. The facility is expected to open in late November 2020…. [MEMI CEO Mike] Smith said … donations covered the money that could have been raised by selling naming rights, enabling the symphony to honor Brady…. The ‘Icon’ part of the name has a double-meaning…. Through the process, people mentioned that the building and location were iconic, [Smith] said. ‘And this music teacher was an iconic individual himself.’ ”
Author: Jennifer Melick
Sydney Symphony taps Simone Young as next chief conductor
“Simone Young has been appointed chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra,” writes Linda Morris in Saturday’s (12/14) Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). “The Sydney-born conductor, who used to watch the orchestra’s mid-week concerts as a high school student, will lead the SSO onto the stage of the refurbished Sydney Opera House Concert Hall when she takes up the prestigious role in 2022. Young replaces David Robertson, who has vacated the position after six seasons…. Both Young and Robertson will be guest conductors for the orchestra next year…. From 2021 Young will [become] chief conductor designate…. Board chairman Terrey Arcus said the appointment came after an intensive global search and Young, who was artistic director of the Hamburg State Opera and music director of the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra for 10 years, was ‘our orchestra’s first choice.’ Young said she … had been impressed by [CEO Emma] Dunch’s strategic vision for enhancing the orchestra’s reputation and building new audiences…. Renowned for her interpretations of the great Viennese masters, Young said she intended to build bridges between Australian audiences and contemporary Australian composers…. Young will continue to conduct engagements in Europe and the U.S. throughout her Sydney tenure.”
In photo: Conductor Simone Young. Photo by Klaus Lefebvre