Portland Monthly article about Kalmar swings and misses

This month's issue of Portland Monthly Magazine contains a article entitled "The Maestro" that poses a question as to whether Oregon Symphony music director Carlos Kalmar can lead the orchestra into a new era. But the question is purely retorical since Kalmar has been leading the orchestra since 2003. I mean, if a professional football coach has been in charge of a team for six years then you don't start talking about him as a newbie. Maybe in the first couple of years, you can do that, but after six years, come on! Maybe a different question should've been raised, such as "Is Kalmar leading the orchestra in the right direction." But to answer that question, the writer, Bill Donahue, might have talked to a half dozen people across the US who know a thing or two about orchestras. Instead, he let the opportunity pass by.

On Charles Noble's blog Daily Observations, there's quite a discussion about this article, and I would direct you to his blog for some of the finer points.