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The Orchestra's conductor search process
Dan Rottenberg
The Orchestra's conductor search process:
Hey, it worked for me
DAN ROTTENBERG
From an August 5 article by Inquirer music critic Peter Dobrin—
"A measured search for Philadelphia Orchestra music director"
“The Christoph Eschenbach era ends with the 2007-08 season, and the Philadelphia Orchestra's process for finding its eighth music director is slowly coming into view.
“A search committee will be in place by the time of the Orchestra's annual meeting in September. The committee, whose work may take several years, will make its recommendation to the Orchestra board, which will authorize the Orchestra's president to negotiate a contract with the new leader…. Orchestra president James Undercofler said a decision was not possible before the end of the coming season, and was 'very unlikely' before the end of 2008-09.
" ’We're not going to make any snap decisions,’ Undercofler said. ‘We're going to have a period of dating, courtship and then marriage’."
Since conducting is largely a matter of human chemistry and inspiration, some readers may wonder if this cold-blooded corporate search process can work for an orchestra. Some Philadelphians long for the good old days when a small claque of local socialites led by Alexander van Rensselaer and his wife, the former Sarah Drexel, impulsively hired a brilliant 29-year-old musician they had previously turned down as too inexperienced— Leopold Stokowski— and then stood by him for 24 years despite the complaints of their upper-crust friends.
But I’m happy to report that the search-committee process has indeed worked superbly in at least one situation with which I’m intimately familiar. After reading Dobrin’s article on Sunday, my wife of 43 years and I pulled out an old scrapbook and leafed through its dusty pages until we found the evidence: a yellowed clipping from this same Philadelphia Inquirer, dated August 5, 1962. Astonishingly, this article is virtually identical to Dobrin's. I reprint it here for the edification of current skeptics who question the Orchestra’s management tactics:
A measured search for Dan Rottenberg's spouse
After dating more than 75 different girls since his junior year of high school, Dan Rottenberg’s process for finding a wife is slowly coming into view. A search committee will be in place by the time Rottenberg returns from vacation for his junior year at Penn. The committee, whose work may take several years, will make its recommendation to Dan Rottenberg, who will authorize his parents to negotiate a marriage contract with the prospective bride’s family.
Rottenberg said a decision was not possible before the end of the coming season, and was ‘very unlikely’ before the end of 1962-63. "We’re not going to make any snap decisions," Rottenberg said. "We’re going to have a period of dating, courtship and then marriage."
Of course, Rottenberg added, "The committee could be pleasantly surprised by an early-arriving candidate whom I love so much that I pounce on her before said candidate can get away. But we’d like to be sure."
The universe of possibilities is wide open. "There is no pre-selected candidate here," Rottenberg said. "It could be someone I haven’t seen, or someone I haven’t seen in a long time."
A working committee with perhaps ten members will be appointed to engage in the search. Half will be selected to ensure equal representation from Rottenberg’s relatives, friends, professors and potential employers; the other half will be elected at large.
This body will be responsible for collecting responses to potential wives in small groups. There will be no mass meetings of Rottenberg’s various constituencies to discuss candidates. "Some people are not comfortable speaking in a larger group," Rottenberg explained.
In the meantime, Rottenberg and his consultants are discussing possible titles for his previous girlfriends. "We’ve discussed various possibilities," Rottenberg said. "For example, girlfriend laureate or heavy date emeritus."
"The whole search process," he added, "will be characterized by us all moving forward at the same time. My opinion tends to carry a certain amount of weight. But I'd like it to be blended into the group."
Hey, it worked for me
DAN ROTTENBERG
From an August 5 article by Inquirer music critic Peter Dobrin—
"A measured search for Philadelphia Orchestra music director"
“The Christoph Eschenbach era ends with the 2007-08 season, and the Philadelphia Orchestra's process for finding its eighth music director is slowly coming into view.
“A search committee will be in place by the time of the Orchestra's annual meeting in September. The committee, whose work may take several years, will make its recommendation to the Orchestra board, which will authorize the Orchestra's president to negotiate a contract with the new leader…. Orchestra president James Undercofler said a decision was not possible before the end of the coming season, and was 'very unlikely' before the end of 2008-09.
" ’We're not going to make any snap decisions,’ Undercofler said. ‘We're going to have a period of dating, courtship and then marriage’."
Since conducting is largely a matter of human chemistry and inspiration, some readers may wonder if this cold-blooded corporate search process can work for an orchestra. Some Philadelphians long for the good old days when a small claque of local socialites led by Alexander van Rensselaer and his wife, the former Sarah Drexel, impulsively hired a brilliant 29-year-old musician they had previously turned down as too inexperienced— Leopold Stokowski— and then stood by him for 24 years despite the complaints of their upper-crust friends.
But I’m happy to report that the search-committee process has indeed worked superbly in at least one situation with which I’m intimately familiar. After reading Dobrin’s article on Sunday, my wife of 43 years and I pulled out an old scrapbook and leafed through its dusty pages until we found the evidence: a yellowed clipping from this same Philadelphia Inquirer, dated August 5, 1962. Astonishingly, this article is virtually identical to Dobrin's. I reprint it here for the edification of current skeptics who question the Orchestra’s management tactics:
A measured search for Dan Rottenberg's spouse
After dating more than 75 different girls since his junior year of high school, Dan Rottenberg’s process for finding a wife is slowly coming into view. A search committee will be in place by the time Rottenberg returns from vacation for his junior year at Penn. The committee, whose work may take several years, will make its recommendation to Dan Rottenberg, who will authorize his parents to negotiate a marriage contract with the prospective bride’s family.
Rottenberg said a decision was not possible before the end of the coming season, and was ‘very unlikely’ before the end of 1962-63. "We’re not going to make any snap decisions," Rottenberg said. "We’re going to have a period of dating, courtship and then marriage."
Of course, Rottenberg added, "The committee could be pleasantly surprised by an early-arriving candidate whom I love so much that I pounce on her before said candidate can get away. But we’d like to be sure."
The universe of possibilities is wide open. "There is no pre-selected candidate here," Rottenberg said. "It could be someone I haven’t seen, or someone I haven’t seen in a long time."
A working committee with perhaps ten members will be appointed to engage in the search. Half will be selected to ensure equal representation from Rottenberg’s relatives, friends, professors and potential employers; the other half will be elected at large.
This body will be responsible for collecting responses to potential wives in small groups. There will be no mass meetings of Rottenberg’s various constituencies to discuss candidates. "Some people are not comfortable speaking in a larger group," Rottenberg explained.
In the meantime, Rottenberg and his consultants are discussing possible titles for his previous girlfriends. "We’ve discussed various possibilities," Rottenberg said. "For example, girlfriend laureate or heavy date emeritus."
"The whole search process," he added, "will be characterized by us all moving forward at the same time. My opinion tends to carry a certain amount of weight. But I'd like it to be blended into the group."
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