A new controversy is brewing among Turkish music lovers and arts managers over how a public administrator with no background in music could be awarded the position of director of Istanbul’s Metropolitan Municipality City Orchestra.
Celal Sevencan, interested in music as an amateur listener, was appointed as director of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality City Orchestra in August 2006. The appointment did not draw any significant public attention until Sevencan’s detailed biography appeared recently on the municipality Web site and sparked e-mail traffic within art circles.
Sevencan’s biography says he began work as a news editor in the municipality in 1994 and later worked for the Directorate of Cemeteries, the fire brigade department, in social and administrative affairs and then in solid waste administration.
Orchestras cannot be run like a company
Although the recent controversy has focused particularly on Sevencan and his career path, similar debates have raged over the appropriateness of other art management appointments in the past, as to whether the right person was given the job.
Şişli Symphony Orchestra Director Serra Tokay said many people, such as Sevencan, who do not have a background in music, have been appointed to orchestra management positions. "This is not good for Turkey. Generally, as classical Western music does not reach wide audiences, not only those appointed to management positions but also orchestra conductors are amateurs," she said. Tokay said a jury of people who have knowledge of music should select the candidates.
’There is no similar situation in Europe’
"An orchestra cannot be managed and operated like a company. There is no similar situation in Europe."
Akbank Chamber Orchestra Chief Cem Mansur agreed with Tokay and said the situation was very ordinary for Turkey and that the concept of art management had never been questioned in Turkey. "Rather than questioning the people who are appointed to these art department positions, the questions should be aimed at the mechanisms behind the appointments."
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/life ... 964228.asp
Can CF posters think of any advantage of having a director of Orchestra with experience of solid waste administration and cemetery ?
