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Temirkanov interviewed: In your opinion, could a woman conduct? "In my view, no" -- then backs it up by quoting Marx

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Oscar

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Feb 17, 2014, 5:02:30 AM2/17/14
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Temirkanov on womyn conductors.

From Nezavisimaya Gazeta, September 10, 2012:

Interview by Paris-based composer and conductor Elena Gantchikova:

<< Q.: In your opinion, could a woman conduct?
A.: In my view, no.
Q.: Why not?!
A.: I don't know if it's God's will, or nature's, that women give birth and men do not. That's something that no one takes offense at. But if you say that a women can't conduct, then everyone's offended. As Marx said, in response to the question "What's your favorite virtue in a woman?"--"Weakness." And this is correct. The important thing is, a woman should be beautiful, likable, attractive. Musicians will look at her and be distracted from the music!
Q.: Why? There are women in the orchestra; people indifferent to a women's charms. Besides, how many times would you be enraptured by appearances? After all, it's something you tire of, and switch to the heart of the question. Statistically, of course, there are women conductors.
A.: Yes, they do exist.
Q.: Nevertheless, you maintain that these are less than women, or less than conductors.
A.: No, simply that is my opinion, it's counter to nature.
Q.: And what is it in the conductor's profession that runs counter to a woman's nature? That's counter to the essence of the conductor's profession?
A.: The essence of the conductor's profession is strength. The essence of a woman is weakness. >>

Link to full story (in Cyrillic): http://www.ng.ru/culture/2012-09-10/10_temirkanov.html

O

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Feb 17, 2014, 9:04:50 AM2/17/14
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In article <adfa6bf0-1e01-42df...@googlegroups.com>,
Oscar <oscaredwar...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Temirkanov on womyn conductors.
>
> A.: The essence of the conductor's profession is strength. The essence of a
> woman is weakness. >>

Hey, Baby, put that score down and how 'bout a little arm wrestling?

-Owen

Hank M

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Feb 17, 2014, 10:59:40 AM2/17/14
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On Monday, February 17, 2014 5:02:30 AM UTC-5, Oscar wrote:

> Q.: And what is it in the conductor's profession that runs counter to a woman's nature? That's counter to the essence of the conductor's profession?
>
> A.: The essence of the conductor's profession is strength. The essence of a woman is weakness. >>

Wow! One rarely, if ever, hears such 19th Century views in the 21st Century. This same "argument" was advanced to preclude women from voting, from practicing law, etc. I wonder what the answer would have been if the interviewer asked him about women exercising the right to vote?

td

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Feb 17, 2014, 11:47:10 AM2/17/14
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It is amazing how powerful the concept of PC has become in recent years. Overpowering, I would say. Crushes all before it, including common sense, I guess.

TD

Bozo

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Feb 17, 2014, 12:38:43 PM2/17/14
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>On Monday, February 17, 2014 4:02:30 AM UTC-6, Oscar wrote:
> A.:....The essence of a woman is weakness. >>
>

God missed that point when he decided to make women the gate-keepers for pregnancy and have them bear the job of giving birth ?

Bob Harper

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Feb 17, 2014, 12:44:37 PM2/17/14
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?? What's the 'common sense'? Certainly PC is a juggernaut, as
Temirkanov will learn, if he cares. Will he, e.g., get any dates in the
West after this 'outrage'?

Bob Harper
Message has been deleted

Frank Berger

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Feb 17, 2014, 12:46:28 PM2/17/14
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Temirkanov is confusing two different types of strength.

td

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Feb 17, 2014, 1:44:07 PM2/17/14
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Didn't he just perform in CH, Bob? Or is about to?

TD

Bob Harper

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Feb 17, 2014, 3:24:13 PM2/17/14
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In Washington--in a snowstorm--last week, so sounds about right. Will
there be pickets, or will boredom with PC take hold? Or perhaps we here
are the only ones aware of the interview.

Bob Harper

td

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Feb 17, 2014, 4:10:12 PM2/17/14
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No matter. Temirkanov is a better conductor than anyone who might criticize him for his opinions.

One notices that Gergiev has survived the attacks by the gay mafia, Bob. I imagine that he will continue to be supported by Vladimir Putin and conduct at The Met.

TD

Oscar

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Feb 17, 2014, 4:57:24 PM2/17/14
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Womyn conductors of the world:

Marin Alsop http://www.marinalsop.com
Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra. In 2005, Alsop became the first conductor ever to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. Dated a member of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Kristin Jurkscheit (horn), during her tenure as Music Director, which provoked controversy. They have a son together.

Zoi Tsokanou. http://www.zoitsokanou.com
Was in Gustav Mahler Bamberg competition this year & Haitink masterclasses in Lucerne.

Monica Buckland Hofstetter http://www.buckland.ch/english/news.htm ...
British-Swiss, currently in charge of conducting chorus & orchestra at the University of Dresden.

Jessica Cottis http://jessicacottis.com
Young Australian-British conductor whose name came up more often in suggestions on Twitter yesterday than anyone else's.

Anu Tali http://www.harrisonparrott.com/artist/profile/anu-tali ...
Estonian suprema, music director of Sarasota Orchestra & Nordic Symphony Orchestra.

Julia Jones: http://www.rayfieldallied.com/artists/julia-jones/
Admired Brit, extremely well recognised in Germany, did Cosi at Covent Garden not so long ago.

Xian Zhang. http://www.harrisonparrott.com/artist/profile/xian-zhang ...
I have loved the performances of hers that I've heard at ENO.

Simone Young http://www.simoneyoung.com/titel/
Extremely well-established, has been chief conductor at the Hamburg Opera (just leaving now).

Eve Queler http://www.evequeler.com
New York-based operatic expert.

JoAnn Falletta http://www.joannfalletta.com
Music director of the Ulster Orchestra.

Suzi Digby http://www.suzidigby.com/
That ultimate mover and shaker of choirs and galvaniser of community and youth music.

Nia Llewellyn Jones @niallewellynj
Young conductor fresh out of Cambridge, being nurtured by CBSO.

Jane Glover: http://www.janeglover.co.uk
Arch-Mozartian and author.

Sian Edwards http://www.ingpen.co.uk/artist/sian-edwards/ ...
She is head of conducting at the Royal Academy of Music.

Susanna Mälkki http://www.harrisonparrott.com/artist/profile/susanna-malkki ...
Much-admired principal conductor of the Gulbenkian Orchestra, Portugal.

Alondra de la Parra http://alondradelaparra.com/
Among much else, an official cultural ambassador for Mexican tourism.

Emmanuelle Haim http://www.leconcertdastree.fr/
Extraordinary Baroque specialist from France.

Kelly Lovelady http://kellylovelady.com
From Australia, with an unforgettable name.

Odaline de la Martinez http://www.lorelt.co.uk/lontano/odaline.htm ...
Founder of Lontano.

Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/mirga-grazinyte-tyla ...
Conducting 'fellow' at the LA Phil.

Kristiina Poska http://www.rbartists.at/en/dirigenten_dtl.php?id=486&TACookie=rv3a0901nslhali2lc4gai8035 ...
Prizewinning Estonian who's been rising fast, not least via the Komische Oper, Berlin

Ewa Strusinska http://www.ewastrusinska.com
Spent some time with the Halle and now works internationally from Poland

Jeanne Lamon http://www.tafelmusik.org/about/orchestra/bios/jeanne-lamon ...
Baroque marvel, head of Tafelmusik

Sarah Ioannides http://sarahioannides.net/
Born in Australia, grew up in the UK, now based in the US.

Tania Miller http://www.hughkaylor.com/Miller-Tania-Bio.html
Music director of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Canada

Claire Gibault http://clairegibault.fr/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Gibault ...
Both conductor and MEP!

Barbara Hannigan http://www.barbarahannigan.com/
This extraordinary soprano, star of Benjamin's Written on Skin, is also a conductor.

Gemma New http://www.gemmanew.com/
Assistant conductor at New Jersey SO

Rebecca Miller http://www.rebeccamiller.net/
London-based US conductor

Alice Farnham http://www.alicefarnham.com/
Music director of Welsh National Youth Opera for Paul Bunyan this year

Akiko Ohtomo http://hokusaiorchestra.com/test/prof.html
Director of the Hokusai Orchestra (formed in 2010)

Anne Manson http://www.annemanson.com/
Among much else, she was the first woman to conduct at the Salzburg Festival

Yip Wing-Sie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yip_Wing-sie
Music director of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta

Sybille Werner http://www.ljova.com/sybille.htm
Mahler authority

Alicja Mounk http://www.dirigentinnen.de/1mounk.htm
A long and distinguished career

Holly Mathieson http://www.hollymathieson.com/
Young New Zealander, based in Berlin

Monique Krus http://401nederlandseoperas.nl/en/componisten/208-monique-krues.html
Dutch conductor, composer and soprano (site above doesn't mention the conducting, but she is recommended by a friend who saw her conduct last week)

Laurence Equilbey http://www.laurenceequilbey.com/
Fine French maestra, especially noted for opera. Another one for the appropriate-names department.

Jennifer Condon http://www.owlsnestopera.com.au/?page_id=6
Music director of the wonderfully-titled Owl's Nest Opera in Austalia

Karen Kamensek http://www.lewin-management.com/artists/18_Karen+Kamensek/englishbio
Music director of Staatstheater Hannover

Carolyn Watson http://www.carolyn-watson.com/biog.html
Orchestra director, Interlochen Arts Academy

Han-Na Chang http://www.harrisonparrott.com/artist/profile/han-na-chang
She's the most fabulous cellist and now she's become a conductor!

Mei-Anne Chen http://meiannchen.com/
Music director of Chicago Sinfonietta and Memphis Symphony

Joana Carneiro http://imgartists.com/artist/joana_carneiro
Music director, Berkeley Symphony

Amy Bebbington http://www.amybebbington.co.uk/4.html
Choral specialist

Laura Jackson http://www.laurajackson.net/web/home.aspx
Music director, Reno Philharmonic

Catherine Winnes Trevino http://www.kmh.se/cathrine-winnes-trevino-ny-chefdirigent-f%C3%B6r-%C3%B6stg%C3%B6ta-bl%C3%A5sarsymfoniker1
Norwegian maestra - sites in Norwegian

Halldis Rønning http://www.harmonien.no/default.aspx?pageId=33
Assistant conductor, Bergen Philharmonic

Carolyn Kuan http://www.hartfordsymphony.org/about/music-director/
Music director, Hartford Symphony

Matilda Hofman http://www.esm.rochester.edu/iml/spotlight/spotlight_may_2008_hoffman.php
Music director, Diablo Symphony, California

Nicolette Fraillon http://www.australianballet.com.au/about_us/artistic_staff/nicolette_fraillon
Music director & chief conductor of Australian Ballet

Sarah Grace Williams http://www.sarahgracewilliams.com/
Chief conductor & artistic director, The Metropolitan Orchestra, Sydney

Speranza Scappucci http://www.icartists.co.uk/artists/speranza-scappucci
Is opening the forthcoming Scottish Opera season with Don Giovanni

Susan Hollingworth http://www.sinenom.com/bio.html
Conductor of Sine Nomine Choir and much more

Sarah Baldock http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Baldock
Master of the choristers & organist at Chichester Cathedral. One of the first women ever to be appointed at one.

Katherine Dienes-Williams http://www.katherinedienes.com/KD/Welcome.html
Master of the choristers & organist at Guildford Cathedral (see above)

Sarah Macdonald http://www.sel.cam.ac.uk/chapel/People/
Director of Music in Chapel, Selwyn College, Cambridge.

Kim Diehnelt http://www.kimdiehnelt.com/
Music director & chief conductor, Northwest Symphony Orchestra, US

Jeri Lynne Johnson http://www.jerilynnejohnson.com/web/home.aspx
Founder & conductor, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, US

Isabelle Ruf-Weber http://www.dirigentinnen.de/1rufwe.htm
German conductor based in Baden-Wurttemberg

Sinead Hayes http://www.sineadhayes.com/
Young Irish conductor who opened the RTE Concert Orchestra's summer lunchtime concert series.

Roberta Peroni http://www.linkedin.com/pub/roberta-peroni/28/44b/58a
Conductor & chorus manager in Bari, Italy.

Talia Ilan http://www.taliailan.com/bio.aspx
Music director of the Israel Stage Orchestra & guest conductor with many Israeli orchestras.

Ewa Michnik http://www.opera.wroclaw.pl/1/index.php?lang=_pl&page=4&perf_id=1
Director, Opera Wroclaw, Poland.

Eun Sun Kim http://www.lewin-management.com/artists/19_Eun+Sun+Kim/englishbio
Is conducting Die Fledermaus at ENO this season.

Maja Matelska http://majametelska.com/en/
Polish conductor, has scooped quite a few competition prizes.

Marzena Diakun http://diakun.com/en/biography/
Polish, winner of 2nd prize in last year's Fitelberg Competition, and highly recommended by one of my colleagues who's in the know.

Gisele Ben-Dor http://www.giseleben-dor.com/
Israeli conductor laureate of Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra

Victoria Bond http://victoriabond.com/
American composer and conductor. Her website says she has been staying in the guest flat at Brahms's house near Baden-Baden (this has long been my own aspiration!) and writing an opera about Clara Schumann.

Rei Hotada http://reihotoda.com
Has been assistant conductor at the Dallas Symphony and has been making important debuts around the US & Canada this season.

Sarah Hicks http://sarahhicksconductor.com/web/bio.aspx
Staff conductor at the Curtis Institute, Philadelphia, among much else.

Anna Skryleva http://www.annaskryleva.com/annaskryleva/Home.html
Russian, has been working in some fine German opera houses including Karlsruhe & Hamburg

Tara Simoncic http://www.greenwichsymphony.org/tara-simoncic-associate-conductor
Young American conductor, has been featured in the Guardian

Amelia LeClair http://www.brandeis.edu/wsrc/scholars/profiles/leclair.html
Scholar and early music choral conductor, based at Brandeis University

Nicole Paiement http://music.ucsc.edu/faculty/nicole-paiement
Director of Ensembles, University of California Santa Cruz.

Rosemary Thomson http://okanagansymphony.com/about/music-director/2997/
Music director, Okanagan Symphony.

Dalia Atlas http://www.dalia-atlas.com/Biography.html
From Haifa. Has recorded a lot of Bloch.

Graziella Contratto http://www.graziellacontratto.com/
Swiss conductor with a fine track record.

Jessica Gethin http://perthsymphony.com/2012/09/20/perth-symphony-orchestra/
Principal conductor of the Perth Symphony Orchestra, Australia

Carolin Nordmeyer http://www.theater-augsburg.de/content.php?backlink=L2NvbnRlbnQucGhwP25hdj0zNCZzdWI9MzYmL011c2lrdGhlYXRlci9FbnNlbWJsZS5odG1s&sel=1&mitID=240
Theater Augsburg, Germany

Alissa Firsova http://alissafirsova.com/
Multi-talented composer, conductor and pianist. Daughter of the composers Dimitri Smirnov and Elena Firsova.

Nathalie Stutzmann http://www.nathaliestutzmann.com/
The noted French mezzo-soprano is conducting as well.

Andrea Quinn http://www.andreaquinn.com/
British conductor, now based in the US. Was chief conductor at New York City Ballet, then at Norrlands Operan, Sweden.

Anne Marie Granau http://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariegranau
Chorus master at Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen

Silvia Sanz Torre http://www.silviasanz.com/silviasanz/index.php
Spanish conductor - intrigued to see she has conducted rare Albeniz opera The Magic Opal.

Kate Tamarkin http://www.ktamarkin.com/ktprofile.htm
Music director, Charlottesville and Univesity Symphony Orchestra, Charlottesville, US

Natalia Luis-Bassa http://www.natalialuisbassa.blogspot.co.uk/
Venezuelan conductor in the UK. Hit headlines a few years ago by walking out on the Huddersfield Philharmonic due to interpersonal problems with players being "disrespectful". Was a mentor in BBC's Maestro series. Teaches at RCM.

Sarah Tenant-Flowers http://www.tenantflowers.co.uk/
Choral conductor, UK, teacher, animateur - and also a mentor on Maestro.

Elizabeth Schulze http://www.flagstaffsymphony.org/about_conductor.php
Music director, Flagstaff and Maryland Symphony Orchestras, US

Sandra Horst http://www.music.utoronto.ca/faculty/faculty_members/faculty_a_to_m/Sandra_Horst.htm
Chorus master of Canadian Opera

Grete Pedersen http://solistkoret.no/en/artistic-leader/
Artistic leader, Norwegian Soloists Choir

Mary Chun http://www.earplay.org/index.php/music-makers/mary-chun-conductor-bio/
In demand in contemporary music and opera, US. Premiered Adams's I was looking at the ceiling...

Sara Jobin http://www.hughkaylor.com/jobin-sara-bio.html
Artistic director, Centre for Contemporary Opera, New York.

Renee Baker http://www.chicagomodernorchestraproject.org/artistic-director/
Music director, Chicaco Modern Orchestra Project

Beatrice Jona Affron http://www.paballet.org/pennsylvania-ballet-orchestra
Music director and conductor, Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra

Natalia Salinas http://www.linkedin.com/in/salinasnatalia/en
Conductor based in her native Argentina

Ann Krinitsky http://annkrinitsky.com/Bio.html
Director, Marin Symphony Youth Performance Programmes, etc - based in the Bay Area.

Karina Canellakis http://www.karinacanellakis.com/Site/Karina_Canellakis_conductor_violinist_BIOGRAPHY.html
Winner, 2013 Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship (founded by Marin Alsop)

Sebrina Maria Alfonso http://southfloridasymphony.org/about-the-conductor/
Music director, South Florida Symphony

Diane Wittry http://www.dianewittry.com/index.html
Music director, Allentown Symphony

Denise Ham http://www.denisehamconducting.com/
Sought-after teacher of conducting in the UK

Sharon Choa http://sharonchoa.co.uk/
Artistic director & principal conductor, Chamber Orchestra Anglia, which she founded in 2001

Rachael Young http://rachaelyoung.eu/
Has been assistant conductor to Paavo Jarvi & Leonid Grin, will Russian Virtuosi of Europe at Cadogan Hall in June 14.

Kayoko Dan http://chattanoogasymphony.org/artists/kayoko-dan/
Music director, Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Apo Hsu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apo_Hsu
Assistant conductor of Oregon Symphony under James de Priest

Joana Mallwitz http://www.artistainternational.com/en/conductor/joanamallwitz/index.php
Is conducting Das Rheingold in Macau in October 2013 and has been doing more Wagner in Riga.

Yuri Nitta http://www.yuri-muusikko.com/e-profile.htm
Tokyo-born Nordic music specialist

Keiko Mitsuhashi http://www.concert.co.jp/en/artist/keiko_mitsuhashi/
2nd prize & audience prize in 2010 International Conducting Competition 'Arturo Toscanini'; 1st prize in 2008 Antonio Pedrotti Conducting Competition.

Kanako Abe http://www.kanakoabe.com/about.html
Born in Osaka, now based in Paris. Co-founder & music director of Ensemble Multilatérale

Yoko Matsuo *Link needed, please send if you have one!*
Pioneer of women conductors in Japan and first woman to win the Besançon competition in 1982.

Lindsay Ryan http://www.harmonysinfonia.co.uk/conductor.php
London-based conductor, founder in 2009 of Harmony Sinfonia

Heather MacLaughlin Garbes http://www.heathermaclaughlin.com/
Lives in Seattle, works with Baltic Studies Department/Baltic Choral Library at the University of Washington

Zheng Xiaoying http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/conductors/zheng_ziaoying/
Principal conductor of the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra and artistic director of her own Opera Centre.

Shi-Yeon Sung http://shiyeonsung.com/biography/
Winner of 2006 Sir Georg Solti International Conductors Competition.

Frank Berger

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Feb 17, 2014, 5:11:09 PM2/17/14
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Hey, where's Keri-Lynn Wilson, who I saw conduct in Dallas a couple of
times? According to Wikipedia she became the first female chief
conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic last year. Isn't she married to
Peter Gelb? I think I saw her conduct the DSO in Barber's violin
concerto with Nadia Solerno-Sonnenberg. Wilson is over 6' tall and I
recall a whole lot of rhthymic swaying from conductor and soloist.


Oscar

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Feb 17, 2014, 5:19:03 PM2/17/14
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On Monday, February 17, 2014 2:11:09 PM, Frank Berger wrote:
>
> Hey, where's Keri-Lynn Wilson, who I saw conduct in Dallas a couple of
> times? According to Wikipedia she became the first female chief
> conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic last year. Isn't she married to
> Peter Gelb? I think I saw her conduct the DSO in Barber's violin
> concerto with Nadia Solerno-Sonnenberg. Wilson is over 6' tall and I
> recall a whole lot of rhthymic swaying from conductor and soloist.

Oops, I forgot to attribute that list to Jessica Duchen http://tinyurl.com/kwd6hvl blogger and journalist who writes for BBC Music Magazine, among others.

td

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Feb 18, 2014, 2:25:49 PM2/18/14
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Indeed.

If the list is exhaustive, it would appear that woman conductors represent about 1% of the available conductors at any given time.

I don't say that to boast. It's just a fact. Perhaps you could ask Ron Wilford for verification, as he rules the conductors' roost around the world.

TD

dk

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Feb 19, 2014, 1:18:35 AM2/19/14
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What a male chauvinist pig!

dk

richard...@gmail.com

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Feb 19, 2014, 10:21:32 AM2/19/14
to
On Wednesday, February 19, 2014 1:18:35 AM UTC-5, dk wrote:
> On Monday, February 17, 2014 2:02:30 AM UTC-8, Oscar wrote:
>
> > Temirkanov on womyn conductors.
>
He has a point I suppose. Given how many here commented on Yuja Wang's appearance, rather than her playing, what chance would someone like her have as a conductor? Imagine someone like her conducting in the Bernstein or Ozawa manner . . .
It might fill seats I suppose.

Frank Berger

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Feb 19, 2014, 10:37:22 AM2/19/14
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It's a question of mind over matter. It's human nature for people to
"notice" the sexuality of others (depending on your sexual orientation,
of course). But it is possible to learn to suppress this "interest"
depending on the circumstances, if you want to. I think there's no
reason musicians can't learn to ignore the sexuality of a female
conductor. Not everyone will, though. What about gay male musicians?
Don't they have a problem concentrating while playing for an attractive
male conductor?


nm...@optonline.net

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Feb 19, 2014, 11:05:59 AM2/19/14
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Hillary 2016!

td

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Feb 19, 2014, 11:18:43 AM2/19/14
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On Wednesday, February 19, 2014 1:18:35 AM UTC-5, dk wrote:
LOL

TD

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