Sinfonietta seeks Freeman’s successor
Chicago Sun-Times
By Andrew Patner
Published March 20, 2009
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The Chicago Sinfonietta, a pillar of Chicago’s classical music scene and the American orchestra with the greatest diversity among its players, is launching an interna- tional search for a successor to its founder and music director, Paul Freeman.
Freeman, 73, launched the Sinfonietta in 1987 to bring together twin goals of diversity and musical excellence that he had focused on since his early years as one of the few African-American symphony orchestra conductors. The group draws a large and varied audience to its regular series of eclectic programming at both Orchestra Hall and Dominican University in River Forest.
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A succession plan is in being formulated for when Paul Freeman steps down as music director of the Chicago Sinfonietta.
An ebullient podium presence but an intensely private person, Freeman, a former clarinetist who holds a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music, has been missing from several scheduled Sinfonietta appearances this season for the first time in more than 20 years. Supporters had pressed thegroup to propose a succession plan for when Freeman eventually steps down.
A search committee of board members, Sinfonietta executive director Jim Hirsch and outside music consultant Evans Mirageas will look for a new musical leader. Four musicians and other board members will serve on an advisory committee.
Hirsch said Friday that he hoped “we can identify someone by early 2011 and have that person take things on with the 2011-12 season.”
Noting that this is the first such search in the organization’s history, he added, “We know that we have some mighty, mighty big shoes to fill and we will not do so hastily or thoughtlessly.”
Freeman will become music director emeritus once a new conductor is in place. A peripatetic traveler and recording artist, Freeman has conducted more than 100 ensembles in 30-plus countries and continues to serve as music director and chief conductor of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. He has more than 200 albums to his credit, including a path-breaking series of music by black classical composers since 1750. He is slated to share the podium for the Sinfonietta’s May concerts with former Chicago Symphony Orchestra resident conductor William Eddins.
The Sinfonietta’s next concerts, Sunday in River Forest and Monday at Orchestra Hall, are typical of its mission. Leslie B. Dunner leads a program dubbed “Global Voices” of Spanish, South Asian and Hungarian works with Canadian-Punjabi, African-American and Hungarian soloists. Eddins and Dunner are African-American conductors of the generations following Freeman’s.
Andrew Patner is critic at large for WFMT-FM (98.7).
Copyright © 2009 Chicago Sun-Times
