Thomas Søndergård hired to lead the Minnesota Orchestra

[Roland Flessner]

https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/stories/meet-the-music-director-designate-thomas-sondergard

[Roland Flessner]

At the intro event, which I watched online, the maestro was asked about the correct pronunciation of his last name. He said that it is something like zone-NAIR-gore but suggested that Americans just pronounce it the way it looks. I'll take him up on that.

I listened to his Prokofiev 5 with the RSNO and found it excellent, even with the British tamtam.

[barryguerrero]

What little I've heard of his work on CD sounds fine to me. It seems like they made a logical pick.

[Roland Flessner]

This is also the final season of Muti's tenure with the CSO. It was originally planned to be the previous season, but his contract was extended because of COVID.

[barryguerrero]

Now that Jaap van Zweden is weaseling out of N.Y. (can you blame him?), Chicago should grab him. However, his detractors claim he has no personality. All I know is that he's among the few who are equally good at both Bruckner and Mahler. Simone Young would be good as well, but I doubt she wants to travel all that much these days.