Five concerts, four conductors at different stages of their relationship w/ the LA Phil (part 2 of 4): Lionel Bringuier and the latest Green Umbrella new music concert
December 11, 2012 Leave a comment
The first time I learned about Lionel Bringuier was in November 2006. The late great Alan Rich wrote about how the powers-that-be at the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the time — among them, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Deborah Borda, orchestra musicians, and board members — were blown away by Mr. Bringuier and named him Assistant Conductor at the tender age of 20.
In the ensuing years, Mr. Bringuier has not stopped impressing people wherever he has gone. Locally, he has been promoted twice, first to Associate Conductor, then in 2011, to the newly created position of Resident Conductor. Further afield, he’s made repeated waves with notable guest gigs on both sides of the Atlantic before making his biggest splash yet a couple of months ago by being named the new Music Director Designate of the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra.
His international profile and experience may be growing, but Los Angeles has probably had the best chance to watch him grow and develop vs. anywhere else in the world. We’ve seen him conduct a broad range of repertoire under a variety of conditions: subscription programs at Walt Disney Concert Hall; Toyota Symphonies for Youth educational concerts; Hollywood Bowl gigs with all of their quirks; and as a last-minute replacement — most memorably in 2010 when he took over conducting the Tchaikovsky Sixth Symphony after Gustavo Dudamel injured his neck mid-concert. Under all circumstances, he has been unflappable, with interpretations that are interesting and enjoyable.
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