Jaap van Zweden ending tenure as New York Philharmonic music director after 6 seasons
Jaap van Zweden is ending his tenure as the New York Philharmonic music director after six seasons, the orchestra’s shortest since Pierre Boulez from 1971-77
NEW YORK (AP) — Jaap van Zweden decided during the pandemic that he wanted to jettison the jet-setting life of a transatlantic conductor, so the less-flying Dutchman cut short his New York Philharmonic tenure, the orchestra’s shortest for a music director since Pierre Boulez from 1971-77.
“I strongly believe in heart-to-heart contact, eye-to-eye contact, and not through a camera or something,” he said. “I cannot change myself. I was pushed into the century of Skyping and electronics. It’s not me.”
Van Zweden is conducting three performances of Mahler’s Second Symphony through Saturday for his Lincoln Center finale, then leading the orchestra on the road for five concerts in China from June 27 to July 3 and three performances at Vail, Colorado, from July 17-20.
“COVID changed many people’s lives. In fact, it probably changed all of our lives,” former Philharmonic president Deborah Borda said. “I don’t think this would be an unusual story of somebody — of a man refocusing his life choices.”
