Nikolai Znajder was meant to be directing the Concertgebouw tonight.
But Mrs Znajder gave birth to a daughter this morning, some weeks ahead of schedule.
So the orch went through the usual ringaround of who’s good, nearby and free. The finger fell on Dutchman Jurjen Hempel, who (as we reported) only two days ago landed his first big orchestra in Finland. He’s having a good week. More details here.
I hadn’t heard of him until the start of the year when he stood in for Otaka in Cardiff with the BBCNOW and everyone was very impressed. He seems from his bio to be in his early 40s, so one wonders why it has taken him so long.
Malcolm, of what importance is your comment about when an artist becomes “noticed” in his career (…so one wonders why it has taken him so long…)? What’s your point? It happens when it happens if it happens and that doesn’t change who he is, perhaps only how much he can accomplish because of the support that will aid him from that point onward.
It just seems such an unnecessary negative comment which serves no purpose except to plant bad seeds in the minds of those who are yet unfamiliar with Maestro Hempel. You reported everyone was impressed with his work in Cardiff so why the salty remark? Maybe it wasn’t intended to be taken that way but to me it reads a questioning of him which is uncalled for.
He is surely not a worldwide known conductor, but Jurjen Hempel is a highly estimated musician, not only in Dutch musical live. He was Assistant Conductor to Valery Gergiev with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra from 1996 and made his debut with the RPhO in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. He is yearly re-invited by the RPhO. Gergiev invited Hempel to conduct Salomé at the Mariinsky Theater (being the first Dutch conductor ever to conduct the Mariinsky orchestra) and lead the Mariinsky during a residency in Tel Aviv. In August 2005 he made his debut at the BBC Proms with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He is most known for his dedication to contemporary music, conducting the London Sinfonietta, the Asko Ensemble, the Nieuw Ensemble, the Netherlands Wind Ensemble and the Ensemble Contrechamps. He is the much acclaimed chef-conductor with the Netherlands Youth Orchestra.
Not a minor detail: the manager of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Jan Raes, announced Friday that the early born Znaider is doing well.