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David Robertson was NOT a protégé of Boulez, whereas he is also an excellent conductor of opera.
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'''David Robertson''' [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/06/03/images/davidRobertson.jpg] (born 19 [[July]] [[1958]] in [[Santa Monica]], [[California]], [[USA]]) is an American conductor. He studied horn, composition, and conducting at the [[Royal Academy of Music]] in [[London]]. From 1985-1987, he was the resident conductor of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.
'''David Robertson''' [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/06/03/images/davidRobertson.jpg] (born 19 [[July]] [[1958]] in [[Santa Monica]], [[California]], [[USA]]) is an American conductor. He studied horn, composition, and conducting at the [[Royal Academy of Music]] in [[London]]. From 1985-1987, he was the resident conductor of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.


A protégé of [[Pierre Boulez]], Robertson served as Music Director of the [[Ensemble Intercontemporain]] in [[Paris]] from 1992-2000. From 2000-2004, Robertson was both the Music Director of the [[Orchestre National de Lyon]] (ONL) and Artistic Director of [[Lyon]]'s Auditorium, the first individual to serve simultaneously in both capacities. He and the ONL toured the United States in [[2003]], with concerts in [[New York City]]<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01E3D91539F934A15752C0A9659C8B63 Anthony Tommasini, "For Adventure, Try Boulez and Stay Till the End". <I>New York Times</I>, 27 January 2003.]</ref>, [[Seattle]], [[Berkeley%2C_California|Berkeley]]<ref>[http://www.sfcv.org/arts_revs/orchestrelyon2_2_4_03.php George Thomson, "Newer Music, Old Europe". San Francisco Classical Voice, 31 January 2003.]</ref>, and [[Los Angeles]].
When Robertson was named Music Director of the [[Ensemble Intercontemporain]] in [[Paris]] in October 1990, the news came as a bit of a surprise as he was not a protégé of [[Pierre Boulez]]. Nevertheless the musicians welcomed him, and the Ensemble benefited from his leadership during 1992-2000 not only by opening itself up to works of numerous 'non-Boulezian' composers but was also credited with having a refreshing "human face". From 2000-2004, Robertson was both the Music Director of the [[Orchestre National de Lyon]] (ONL) and Artistic Director of [[Lyon]]'s Auditorium, the first individual to serve simultaneously in both capacities. He and the ONL toured the United States in [[2003]], with concerts in [[New York City]]<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01E3D91539F934A15752C0A9659C8B63 Anthony Tommasini, "For Adventure, Try Boulez and Stay Till the End". <I>New York Times</I>, 27 January 2003.]</ref>, [[Seattle]], [[Berkeley%2C_California|Berkeley]]<ref>[http://www.sfcv.org/arts_revs/orchestrelyon2_2_4_03.php George Thomson, "Newer Music, Old Europe". San Francisco Classical Voice, 31 January 2003.]</ref>, and [[Los Angeles]].

Parallel to his work in contemporary and symphonic music, Robertson is also much admired and sought-after as a conductor of opera, for example opening the Rossini Festival in the composer's hometown Pesaro, Italy in summer 1994, and conducting a new production of Janacek's "Makropoulos Case" at the Metropolitan Opera in 1996 which featured Jessye Norman.


In January 1999, Robertson made his first conducting appearance with the [[Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra]] (SLSO). The date of their first rehearsal was 20 January 1999.<ref>[http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertainment/reviews.nsf/concert/story/A393AAAF2AB08CDD8625726B001BC47E?OpenDocument Sarah Bryan Miller, "Risky program works beautifully for Symphony". <I>St. Louis Post-Dispatch</I>, 22 January 2007.]</ref> Robertson's second appearance with the SLSO occurred in February 2002 at [[Carnegie Hall]] under emergency circumstances. The SLSO music director at the time, [[Hans Vonk]], was scheduled to conduct the orchestra, but withdrew a few days before the concert because of health problems. Robertson agreed to substitute, and he and the orchestra had only one rehearsal before the concert, which received a favourable review from the [[New York Times]]<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E6DF103CF932A25751C0A9649C8B63 Anthony Tommasini, "Music Review: Sly Wit for a Modernist, Clarity for Impressionists". <I>New York Times</I>, 11 February 2002.]</ref>. His third concert with the SLSO was in March 2003, and in December 2003, Robertson was named the Music Director of the SLSO, effective with the 2005-2006 season.
In January 1999, Robertson made his first conducting appearance with the [[Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra]] (SLSO). The date of their first rehearsal was 20 January 1999.<ref>[http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertainment/reviews.nsf/concert/story/A393AAAF2AB08CDD8625726B001BC47E?OpenDocument Sarah Bryan Miller, "Risky program works beautifully for Symphony". <I>St. Louis Post-Dispatch</I>, 22 January 2007.]</ref> Robertson's second appearance with the SLSO occurred in February 2002 at [[Carnegie Hall]] under emergency circumstances. The SLSO music director at the time, [[Hans Vonk]], was scheduled to conduct the orchestra, but withdrew a few days before the concert because of health problems. Robertson agreed to substitute, and he and the orchestra had only one rehearsal before the concert, which received a favourable review from the [[New York Times]]<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E6DF103CF932A25751C0A9649C8B63 Anthony Tommasini, "Music Review: Sly Wit for a Modernist, Clarity for Impressionists". <I>New York Times</I>, 11 February 2002.]</ref>. His third concert with the SLSO was in March 2003, and in December 2003, Robertson was named the Music Director of the SLSO, effective with the 2005-2006 season.

Revision as of 22:10, 10 February 2007

For other people named David Robertson, see David Robertson (disambiguation).

David Robertson [1] (born 19 July 1958 in Santa Monica, California, USA) is an American conductor. He studied horn, composition, and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London. From 1985-1987, he was the resident conductor of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.

When Robertson was named Music Director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris in October 1990, the news came as a bit of a surprise as he was not a protégé of Pierre Boulez. Nevertheless the musicians welcomed him, and the Ensemble benefited from his leadership during 1992-2000 not only by opening itself up to works of numerous 'non-Boulezian' composers but was also credited with having a refreshing "human face". From 2000-2004, Robertson was both the Music Director of the Orchestre National de Lyon (ONL) and Artistic Director of Lyon's Auditorium, the first individual to serve simultaneously in both capacities. He and the ONL toured the United States in 2003, with concerts in New York City[1], Seattle, Berkeley[2], and Los Angeles.

Parallel to his work in contemporary and symphonic music, Robertson is also much admired and sought-after as a conductor of opera, for example opening the Rossini Festival in the composer's hometown Pesaro, Italy in summer 1994, and conducting a new production of Janacek's "Makropoulos Case" at the Metropolitan Opera in 1996 which featured Jessye Norman.

In January 1999, Robertson made his first conducting appearance with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO). The date of their first rehearsal was 20 January 1999.[3] Robertson's second appearance with the SLSO occurred in February 2002 at Carnegie Hall under emergency circumstances. The SLSO music director at the time, Hans Vonk, was scheduled to conduct the orchestra, but withdrew a few days before the concert because of health problems. Robertson agreed to substitute, and he and the orchestra had only one rehearsal before the concert, which received a favourable review from the New York Times[4]. His third concert with the SLSO was in March 2003, and in December 2003, Robertson was named the Music Director of the SLSO, effective with the 2005-2006 season.

Robertson maintains a loft in downtown St. Louis, and also has residences in New York City and Paris. His two teenage sons from his second marriage, Peter and Jonathan (11th and 8th grades, respectively, in 2006-2007), attend Horace Mann School. Robertson is currently married to his third wife, pianist Orli Shaham[5]. Robertson and Shaham first met at that January 1999 SLSO concert, where she was the guest pianist, and which also was her own SLSO debut. They married in January 2003.

The second appearance of the SLSO and Robertson at Carnegie Hall was in April 2005[6], after the labor dispute at the SLSO earlier in the year. Subsequent Carnegie Hall concerts with Robertson conducting the SLSO since the start of his SLSO tenure have been in November 2005[7] and March and April 2006[8].

Robertson was one of Carnegie Hall's Perspectives artists for the 2005-2006 season, and he curated concerts with the SLSO and other performances with various guest artists and ensembles. He received the 2006 Ditson Conductor's Award from Columbia University for his championing of American music. Robertson has recorded for the harmonia mundi, Sony Classical, and Naxos labels music of composers such as Bartók, Dvorák, Valentin Silvestrov, and Philippe Manoury.

Concurrent with the beginning of his SLSO tenure, Robertson became the Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 2005. In September 2006, the SLSO announced that Robertson extended his SLSO contract through 2010, with an evergreen clause to allow for yearly renewal. Robertson has also extended his Principal Guest Conductorship with the BBC Symphony Orchestra through 2011. Speculation had been intense, as reported by John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune, Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times, and Daniel Wakin of the New York Times that both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic were both trying to sign Robertson, respectively, as the next music director of each orchestra. The SLSO action ended the discussion relating to the Chicago position, at least through 2010[9], although there still has been some press speculation that the New York Philharmonic is still considering signing Robertson as its next music director[10]. Robertson continues to be a regular guest conductor with other major American orchestras, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony. In particular, Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times has been laudatory of Robertson's concerts with the New York Philharmonic[11].

References

  1. ^ Anthony Tommasini, "For Adventure, Try Boulez and Stay Till the End". New York Times, 27 January 2003.
  2. ^ George Thomson, "Newer Music, Old Europe". San Francisco Classical Voice, 31 January 2003.
  3. ^ Sarah Bryan Miller, "Risky program works beautifully for Symphony". St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 22 January 2007.
  4. ^ Anthony Tommasini, "Music Review: Sly Wit for a Modernist, Clarity for Impressionists". New York Times, 11 February 2002.
  5. ^ Jeannette Batz Cooperman, "Brilliant Overtures." St. Louis Magazine, September 2005.
  6. ^ Anthony Tommasini, "Labor Bitterness Plays Second Fiddle to Artistry". New York Times, 18 April 2005.
  7. ^ Anthony Tommasini, "Reflections on Reflections, the Present and the Past". New York Times, 21 November 2005.
  8. ^ Bernard Holland, "Works That Boldly Position Words at the Center of Power" (St. Louis Symphony Performs Choral Works). New York Times, 3 April 2006.
  9. ^ John von Rhein, "Robertson tapped into spirit of St. Louis". Chicago Tribune, 17 September, 2006.
  10. ^ Fred Kirshnit, "Good Raw Material Results in a Mess". New York Sun, 25 January 2007.
  11. ^ Anthony Tommasini, "Conductor Makes the Old New and the New Newer". New York Times, 27 November 2004.



Preceded by Music Director, Ensemble InterContemporain
1992–1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Music Director, Orchestre National de Lyon
2000–2004 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Music Director, St Louis Symphony Orchestra
2005– 		Succeeded by
incumbent
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