In Thursday’s (7/30) Indianapolis Star , Jay Harvey reports, “The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra announced today that the contract for Mario Venzago, its music director since 2002, will not be renewed. Simon Crookall, president and CEO of the orchestra, issued an e-mail announcement that a search for a successor will begin as soon as the Board of Directors can put together a search committee. ‘His contract is decided on an annual basis,’ Crookall told The Indianapolis Star, ‘and we were unable to come to a new agreement. We’ve been discussing this for some time.’ Venzago, 61, lives in Heidelberg, Germany, and travels to Indianapolis for the concerts. Crookall would not say whether the failure to come to an agreement involved financial or artistic matters. … The orchestra learned of it at an afternoon rehearsal, after nonmember musicians contracted for an upcoming concert were asked to leave. … Crookall said a ‘farewell week’ of concerts conducted by Venzago will be scheduled at a later time, ‘giving him the opportunity to celebrate his time here.’ ”
Posted July 31, 2009
