This Week in Classical Music-July 4, 2010

by: Randy Kinkel

July 04, 2010

Julliard String Quartet

( Phoenix, AZ )
•Gelb's in Charge
•Eanet leaves Juilliard Quartet

This week in classical music 7/4/10
It’s This week in Classical Music, an update on what’s
happening in the classical music world; I’m Randy Kinkel.
Who’s in charge at the Met? Peter Gelb wants to make it
clear: it’s Him! In a recent interview with Anne Midgette
of the Washington Post, he said, “I am the artistic director
of the Met. I think people like to think I’m just a marketing
person, but the fact is these artistic decisions, whether you
like them or not, are coming from me. They’re not coming
from any board members. I made it very clear when I was
hired that I am making all artistic decisions here. I work
very closely with Jimmy, (James Levine) certainly, but, you
know, it is not unheard of in the past for productions to have
come here sometimes for reasons that were beyond the
artistic desires or plans of any of the people charged with
the artistic supervision of this place. That will not happen
with me. I’m not saying that I’m totally in command at
every moment, but I am driving this ungainly ship.” That
settles that!
A musician who joined the Juilliard String Quartet less
than a year ago as first violinist, is resigning for health
reasons. Nick Eanet has “an acute digestive ailment” that
makes it difficult for him to take part in the quartet’s
extensive touring, according to a statement made by the
quartet. The condition is not life-threatening; Eanet will
spend next season with the quartet while a replacement
is sought. Eanet had left a position as a concertmaster
of the Metropolitan Opera to join the Juilliard, which was
founded in 1946. He replaced Joel Smirnoff, who was named
president of the Cleveland Institute of Music.
For more on these and other items and events, go to the
website, kbaq.org; find us on Facebook and Twitter, be
listening each week at this time for another update; and join
me every weekday at noon for The Mozart Buffet, an hour of
music by Mozart and his contemporaries. I’m Randy Kinkel
for “This week in Classical Music” on 89.5 KBAQ Phoenix, a
service of Rio Salado college and Arizona State University.