As is being reported, it's not yet a done deal for Osmo Vänskä to return to the Minnesota Orchestra as music director. But who would be a good choice?
Well, first thing is you want someone who can bring people together, so a skilled political operator and man (and woman) manager--like, say, a Paul Daniel, who heroically guided English National Opera through its rockiest times. Or an Andrew Litton, about whom nobody seems to have a bad word to say.
Next, they need to be a fine orchestra builder--the band has lost some of its best players in the industrial dispute maelstrom of recent years. Step forward, oh, someone like Peter Oundjian who has done great things with the Toronto Symphony, Vasily Petrenko (who has turned the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic into a crack team), or John Axelrod who made a big difference at France's ONPL (full disclosure: I work with the last-named in various capacities, so if you wish to discern bias go ahead).
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