A comment was posted in the Contributors section yesterday wondering about the real reason Joshua Roman is leaving the Seattle Symphony. The comment churned some thoughts I have been wrestling with ever since the cellist announced he was stepping down from the SSO and thoughts formed through conversations with fans of the orchestra and Roman.
I‘ve heard that Joshua Roman is leaving the Seattle Symphony, not because of an imminent solo career (although that is bound to happen) but because Gerard Schwarz was not likely to give him “tenure”. I find this appalling as Joshua is the best thing to happen to the classical music scene in Seattle or anywhere lucky enough to have him. He’s the perfect package of incredible talent, to die for personality and looks, humility, likeability/respect by fellow musicians, a master of programming at Town Hall/other venue concerts. He is and would continue to breathe new life into classical music as well as bring youth to the fold. I know he wouldn’t stay forever but we need to hold on to him as long as possible.
I would like your opinion but more importantly….is there a story to be told here?
People interested in Roman and his new career as a solo cellist can pick up the June issue of Sound Magazine. Mark Baumgarten, my editor and a talented writer in his own right, chatted with Roman over the course of a number of months on his decision to leave the SSO and what his solo career will look like. Roman has been consistent in saying that his reason for leaving is to pursue a solo career. The Sound article affirms this. As the comment points out Roman is the “perfect package.” Why wouldn’t he pursue a solo career? He has signed with Opus 3 and is set to release an album. He will continue to serve as Artistic Director for the Town Music Series at Town Hall. The stars are aligning for Roman.
Sadly, I think, if there hadn’t been turmoil with the Seattle Symphony people wouldn’t be speculating on Roman’s reasons for leaving. The legacy of the recent controversy will be for critics and followers of the orchestra to lay anything perceived as bad for the orchestra and Seattle classical music at the feet of the scandal.
For any orchestra, and Seattle in particular, blaming orchestra politics for anything bad is unproductive because often the reason is more nuanced than people are willing to admit. From my own understanding, earning tenure would have posed challenges but they were not insurmountable and they certainly were not the reason for his departure. As Baumgarten writes:
The timing of Roman’s announcement raised some speculation in the media that the cellist was escaping from a troubled organization. The announcement, after all, came only days after a court dismissed a personal injury suit filed by one of the Symphony’s violinists and one month after a scathing article in the New York Times painted an ugly picture of an orchestra in chaos. Roman is adamant that this is not the case. “It didn’t affect my decision to leave at all,” Roman says. “It’s a question a lot of people ask.”
Roman’s departure may be a loss but we won’t know what the long-term impact of his decision on the orchestra or the local classical scene will be for some time. And, we won’t know if Roman’s departure will be good for his budding solo career. You could say staying as the principal would be better for a solo career. You could also argue as Roman’s solo career developed, his ability to effectively lead the cello section would diminish. Roman will continue to nurture artistic partnerships by remaining as the Town Music Artistic Director and performing David Stock’s Cello Concerto with the Seattle Symphony.
Roman, the person, might be attracting the pierced and painted to Benaroya Hall and the older, wealthy patrons that populate the Orchestra Level and Founder’s Tier might find some solace in seeing someone so handsome and young breathing life into music they have loved for decades. But these people aren’t necessarily basing their opinions on Roman as a cellist or his ability as Town Music’s artistic director. They are basing their interest on Roman the “rock star.”
Roman remains a developing artistic commodity. There is every reason to think he will continue to improve. Roman’s presence hasn’t always resulted in sell out crowds clamoring trying to witness the young cellist bowing away. I remember a free recital the cellist put on as part of the East European music festival. Kodaly and Ligeti filled the program.
Based on the coverage he was receiving in the Times and the PI, I was under the distinct impression a free recital would be close to impossible to attend. It wasn’t impossible, in fact, there were seats to spare. Mostly, the chamber events Roman has been a part of have had predictable attendance. Of course, there are always people in the audience more interested in Roman the person than the music.
Roman’s program choices have seem thrown together and his performances with Town Music feel like long jam sessions. The diversity is both exhilarating and incomprehensible. With time, I have no doubt his bold ideas about music and performance will be better captured.
Moreover, critical response to Roman has been mixed. His performance of Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time was panned. Melinda Bargreen had this to say:
“While there were some lovely moments (notably Kalinkos’ extended clarinet meditation), the quartet as a whole was less than impressive.
Roman, normally the most reliably excellent of cellists, didn’t maintain the steady bow, the smooth returns and the sustained focus required in the work’s many long-held tones and diminuendo passages; Iwazumi had the same problems.”
Only months earlier, Bargreen had warm comments after he traversed three cello concertos with the Northwest Sinfonietta.
Roman saved the best for last, however, in a positively incendiary performance of the great Shostakovich First with the orchestra in commendable form. The middle movement, always an interpretive challenge, emerged as Roman’s deeply personal statement, meltingly beautiful. No technical demand was beyond this extraordinary young cellist; how lucky that a great set of fingers is also accompanied by a level of musical artistry achieved by few.
In any case, speculation as to the real reason for Roman’s departure and its impact ignores two crucial elements. First, Roman is a developing commodity and the ultimate artistic and musical impact of his departure is unknowable at this point. Heartbroken patrons should find other members of the orchestra to fixate on. How about Jordan Anderson, Ben Hausmann, Stefan Farkas and Arie Schacter?
Second, and most importantly, everyone in the orchestra is a professional. Night after night, Schwarz and his band take the stage and perform. The high quality of the performances coming from Benaroya in spite of a lawsuit, bad press, and sour relations serve as a testament to the level of professionalism of everyone involved.
Roman is no different. In this case, Roman made a decision to leave that was based as much on the need for him to develop professionally and artistically as it was on ensuring stable leadership in the cellos. Anyone who loves music should wish Roman success and continued development as an artist.
Zach Carstensen
oznitorres
James Bash
sultanascheherezade
Philippa Kiraly
As a person who has heard the SSO perform live, I cannot agree with your assessment that professionalism and high quality output are par for the course, at least when its music director is conducting. I recall the beloved cellist looking bored and rather unresponsive to the music and the requests of Schwarz. If I was that unmoved by my situation as a musician, I would move to. His leaving may not have anything to do with the current storm of bad press about the orchestra, but certainly the problems of the SSO are not new either. I am sure he started plans on his exit strategy the second he arrived in Seattle.