Dallas Symphony musicians react to Jaap van Zweden’s appointment to New York Philharmonic

Dallas Symphony Orchestra personnel and musicians reacted with excitement and regret Wednesday at the news that Music Director Jaap van Zweden was appointed music director of the New York Philharmonic.

Van Zweden, 55, who started in Dallas in 2008, was released a year early from his DSO contract. The orchestra said Wednesday he will step down from that post at the end of the 2017-18 season and will have the title of conductor laureate from 2018-19 through 2020-21. He also has been music director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra since the 2012-13 season.

His five-year New York Philharmonic contract will start in 2018; he will be “music director designate” in 2017-18, succeeding current music director Alan Gilbert.

“It is a great honor to work with Jaap, and we hate to lose him,” said Gary Levinson, DSO senior principal associate concertmaster, who also serves as artistic director of the Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth. “As a former member of the New York Philharmonic myself, I know that the players will be thrilled to have him.”

Levinson said the New York search committee spoke with him, among many orchestral players around the world familiar with van Zweden’s work.

“I was pleased to give Jaap a glowing recommendation, along with my unqualified personal praise,” Levinson said.

As music director, van Zweden will conduct the orchestra for 12 weeks annually plus tours. During his tenure, the philharmonic hopes to renovate newly renamed David Geffen Hall, whose acoustics have been criticized since the building opened on the campus of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1962.

Dutch-born van Zweden studied at The Juilliard School and was 19 when he became the youngest concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in the Netherlands. He started conducting in 1995 after encouragement from Leonard Bernstein, the New York Philharmonic’s music director from 1958-69. Van Zweden made his New York Philharmonic debut in April 2012.

In van Zweden’s favor will be his close relationship with the late Bernstein.

“Van Zweden said some things reminiscent of Bernstein’s style in our Mahler rehearsals that made a big difference,” said Levinson. “The New York Phil was also Mahler’s orchestra at one time. So, in that way, Jaap is right in that line.”

DSO concertmaster Alex Carr said he was thrilled for the maestro.

“Obviously, I’m sorry to lose him here — someone who has given 100 percent of himself every time he has stepped on the podium; someone who has devoted so much to the health and future, both musically and financially of this orchestra,” Carr said. “However, as a friend, I am nothing but excited for him and wish him all the success he so deserves.”

Added DSO principal horn David Cooper, “I think it’s a perfect choice for the New York Phil, since Jaap began his conducting career when Bernstein asked him to lead a rehearsal and take over on the podium. I think he is the only person who could take charge of such a dynamic orchestra and bring amazing energy and leadership.

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Cooper continued, “because he has always inspired me to bring out the best performance and to become a better person and leader. I know that the musicians in the New York Phil must feel the same way.”

Fort Worth Symphony Music Director Miguel Harth-Bedoya congratulated van Zweden, saying in an email to the Star-Telegram, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to my colleague in Dallas on his appointment as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic.”

Dallas Symphony President and CEO Jonathan Martin said the announcement was not entirely unexpected, as van Zweden’s name has been mentioned as Gilbert’s successor for a while.

“While this is a year earlier than we had on our horizon, Dallas will have him around officially for quite a while,” Martin said. “He will still be the music director for the next two-and-a-half years and then conductor laureate for another three years after that.”

Martin already has begun to assemble a search committee, made up primarily of symphony musicians and members of the board of directors, he said. He brings considerable experience to this chore, having served on three such efforts in the past.

“Our first job is to think about ‘what’ we need in a music director rather than ‘who’ can we get,” he said. “We need to define what kind of music director will resonate with the players and with our audience, as well as continuing the dynamic artistic growth we enjoyed under Jaap’s vibrant leadership.”

This story contains material from the Associated Press.

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 6:48 PM with the headline "Dallas Symphony musicians react to Jaap van Zweden’s appointment to New York Philharmonic."