Resonate

That’s been the big question in my mind ever since the presidential campaigns began last year. Does most of this country still believe that men can lead better than women? If so, when will a woman have the chance to prove them wrong?

I started musing about this again when I read an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer speculating about who might become the Philadelphia Orchestra’s music director in 2012. Christoph Eschenbach will step down at the end of this season, and Charles Dutoit will spend four years as the orchestra’s “chief conductor.” Then what?

Peter Dobrin, the Inquirer’s music critic, suggests that Stephane Deneve, Ivan Fischer, Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Jurowski, Antonio Pappano and Simon Rattle could all be considered for the position. All of these men have or will soon conduct the orchestra.

It makes me wonder: Are the conservatories of Europe and the United States not offering women the chance to study conducting? Or are women simply more interested in becoming professional musicians? 

I’m not sure if anyone knows exactly what the problem is. But it does seem like a problem that, at a time when a woman is one of the top candidates for the presidency, there is not one viable woman candidate openly being considered for such a major orchestra position.