Munich (dpa / lby) – Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) would like to see the Munich Philharmonic under female leadership. “I would also have great sympathy for a woman,” said Reiter of the German Press Agency in Munich about the post of chief conductor, which has been vacant since the dismissal of the Russian star conductor Valery Gergiev. Reiter has not yet been able to say when the successor will be determined. He expects a proposal for the city council in the first quarter. The mayor does not name names, but “we do have interesting applicants.”
Gergiev was fired last March, a few weeks after Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The reason: According to the city council, the 69-year-old had not distanced himself from his friend, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Since then, the renowned orchestra has repeatedly brought other musicians to the podium, such as Kent Nagano, Maxim Emelyanychev and Susanna Mälkki. For riders, this is anything but a quick fix. “We’re currently doing well working with changing conductors. It’s varied for the audience and also fun for the musicians,” he said. “One could speculate whether one needs a chief conductor at all.”
However, the model also poses challenges. “It’s possible that at some point you won’t find anyone who has time. And of course we don’t want any gaps in the program,” explains Reiter. But: “I found it a great interim solution and that’s why we don’t have to rush at all.”
