Festival News & Press
- Barrett Wissman and Placido Domingo Announce the Inaugural Placido Domingo Festival
- Festival del Sole radiates fun, funds
- Tribeca Firenze to Screen Films 13 – 17 June @ Tuscan Sun Festival
- Robert De Niro and Barrett Wissman bring us Tribeca Firenze
- Since Barrett Wissman became involved with IMG Artists, the company has
been expanding with new offices and festivals around the world. - The Tuscan Sun Festival Wins the Tuscan-American Award 2011
- Wine, wedding and song (CNN.com)
- Barrett Wissman - Renaissance Man
Barrett Wissman and Placido Domingo Announce the Inaugural
Placido Domingo Festival 25th OCTOBER – 3rd NOVEMBER, 2012
24th September 2012 – Plácido Domingo and IMG Artists are delighted to announce the first edition of the Plácido Domingo Festival, taking place in Seville and Malaga from 25th October until 3rd November, 2012. Chosen by Maestro Domingo for its rich operatic and cultural heritage, the Andalucían region will play host to a feast of performances featuring high profile stars from the operatic and concert platforms including Vittorio Grigolo, Ana María Martínez, Joaquín Achúcarro,Ángel Romero, Nino Machaidze, Micaëla Oeste, Angel Blue, Pinchas Zukerman, Danielle de Niese, Nina Kotova and Ivo Pogorelich.
The Festival opens on 25th October at the Maestranza Theatre in Seville with a fully-staged production of Massenet’s Thaïs. The performance stars Plácido as Athanael alongside sopranos Nino Machaidze and Micaëla Oeste, accompanied by Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, conducted by their Artistic Director Pedro Halffter. Further performances take place on 28th and 31st October.
The Real Alcázar in Seville provides a majestic setting for four exclusive chamber concerts, scheduled to take place in the Salón de los Tapices. On 27th October, one of the world’s preeminent violinists, Pinchas Zukerman, performs with his trio, featuring pianist Angela Cheng and cellist Amanda Forsyth. This is followed by a concert with the legendary Spanish guitar virtuoso Ángel Romero and celebrated Russian cellist Nina Kotova on 29th October. Danielle de Niese – “Opera’s coolest soprano” (The New York Times) - is accompanied by Cameron Stowe on the 30th, before closing with a jazz evening featuring the talented young sopranos and Operalia prize winners Micaëla Oeste and Angel Blue on 1st November.
In Malaga, the Teatro Cervantes hosts an Opera Gala on 26th October. Conducted by Maestro Domingo, dynamic tenor Vittorio Grigolo and Grammy® award winning soprano Ana María Martínez will be joined by Romero and accompanied by the Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga. On 28th October, Zukerman performs the Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 and Joaquín Achúcarro plays Falla’s Noches en los Jardines de España, again with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga, conducted by its Music Director, Edmon Colomer.
Ivo Pogorelich performs Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 on 2nd and 3rd November, at the Maestranza in Seville, with the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla conducted by Halffter.
Plácido Domingo said: “I am thrilled that such wonderful and highly accomplished guest artists will join me for my inaugural festival. These will be my first performances in the culturally rich and historically important cities of Seville and Malaga in a number of years, and I am hugely excited at the prospect of returning there, as well as establishing my own festival in my beloved homeland. I hope the festival will bring attention to Andalucía, a beautiful and evocative region of Spain that has played such an important part in operatic storytelling.”
Barrett Wissman, from IMG Artists, said, “I am delighted to partner with Maestro Plácido Domingo in this new and exciting cultural initiative. The impact that he has made on the global cultural landscape is nothing short of phenomenal as a singer, conductor and administrator. My partner Alex Shustorovich and I are deeply honoured to be establishing a festival under Maestro Domingo’s patronage. The support and enthusiasm with which the festival has been greeted within Andalucía reflects the passion the people have for Maestro Domingo and his artistry. We are also very grateful for the support that our presenting partners, the Maestranza Theatre, Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga, the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, and the Real Alcázar have given us, as well as the support of the cities of Seville and Malaga.”
For further information, including how to purchase tickets,
please visit: www.placidodomingofestival.com
Festival del Sole radiates fun, funds
Catherine Bigelow
Published 03:29 p.m., Tuesday, July 17, 2012 (LINK)
Festival del Sole‘s summer season raised the stakes and cultural stamina required for revelers, who savor 11 full days of live music and dance paired with meticulous meals from the masters of Napa’s cuisine and viticultural scenes.
Even bold-faced thespians wanted in on the act (read more about that in Sunday’s Style section) this year with actors such as Chris Noth, Minnie Driver, Dennis Haysbert, Andrea Anders, Michael Keaton, Kathy Garver and Hugh Dancy, who expertly trod the boards during an extreme and sidesplitting production by 24 Hour Plays.
Co-founded by Barrett Wissman and Rick Walker, the festival features performances, set amid spectacular private vineyards and properties, by such artists as violinist Joshua Bell, ballerina Lorna Feijoo, baritone Nathan Gunn and organizations including the Russian National Orchestra, Pan Extasy and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. Read Full Story…. http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Festival-del-Sole-radiates-fun-funds-3714195.php
Tribeca Firenze to Screen Films 13 – 17 June @ Tuscan Sun Festival
31 May 2012 – The Tuscan Sun Festival and Tribeca Enterprises, the parent company of the Tribeca Film Festivalfor Robert De Niro funded by , Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in lower Manhattan in 2002, announced today the list of world-class films to be featured as part of the film initiative, Tribeca Firenze. The newly established film program will have screenings 13 – 17 June in Florence’s Odeon Cinema, one of Italy’s most elegant and historic art noveau cinema-theatres located in the Palazzo Strozzino. The Tuscan Sun Festival and Tribeca Firenze are made possible through the principle support of the Ente Cassa di Risparmio of Florence, and with the patronage of the City of Florence. Gucci and the Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze are leading sponsors of the Festival. Tickets for film screenings are available from 1 June via the Tribeca Firenze website,http://tribecafirenze.com, and the Tuscan Sun Festival website, http://tuscansunfestival.com.
Tribeca Firenze will have multiple screenings a day during the event. Films will be introduced by film-makers and Tribeca Enterprises representatives and will include Q & A sessions immediately following.
“We are proud to present a thoughtfully curated selection of films, showcasing everything from art to genre, spectacle to music, and melodrama to documentary,” said Geoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. “We hope audiences will enjoy the addition of a film programme to the Tuscan Sun Festival, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to present these new works by some of the most compelling filmmakers at work today.”
Barrett Wissman, IMG Artists Partner and Tuscan Sun Festival Founder and Director, said, “The Tuscan Sun Festival is delighted to include Tribeca Firenze in the programme for 2012. The Festival has always been a platform for the world’s greatest artistic talent and a celebration of the arts. Integrating Tribeca Firenze films, particularly those featuring the theme of music, into the overall Festival programme is an exciting development.”
Among the films to be screened, Tribeca Firenze will present the European premiere of The Zen of Bennett, with Tony Bennett and his son Danny Bennett, who created and conceived the film, introducing the film. Mr. Bennett will also be giving a special performance as part of the Tuscan Sun Festival’s 24 Hour Plays project on 18 June at Teatro della Pergola. He will choose four songs that will become the inspiration for the four plays that will be written, rehearsed and
performed within a period of 24 hours, and will perform each song before the play that it has inspired.
The Tuscan Sun Festival is expanding its horizons by holding the festival for the first time in its new home of Florence. In addition to Tribeca Firenze, the Festival includes an expansive programme of events, culinary adventures, concerts and live theatre, including John Malkovich selecting and presenting some of his best films that will be included in the Tribeca Firenze programme, and performing as an actor and narrator in a special performance combining music, theatre and projections at the Teatro della Pergola on 17 June.
Tribeca Firenze Film Programme
Any Day Now, directed by Travis Fine, written by Travis Fine and George Arthur Bloom. (USA) – Narrative. In the late 1970s, when a mentally handicapped teenager is abandoned, a gay couple takes him in and becomes the family he’s never had. But once the unconventional living arrangement is discovered by authorities, the men must fight a biased legal system to adopt the child they have come to love as their own. Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt star in Travis Fine’s (The Space Between) touching and occasionally incendiary drama. Winner of the Narrative Award as part of Heineken Audience Award at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. In English with Italian subtitles.
Beyond the Hills, directed and written by Cristian Mungiu. (Romania) - Narrative. Alina, an emotionally disturbed young woman arrives in a remote mountainous region of Romania to visit her former orphanage classmate and one-time lover, Voichi?a. She is expecting to leave with her, but Voichi?a has become a devout novice at an Orthodox Church community run by a highly conservative priest. Despite a life of hardship, Voichi?a has found her calling in life. An increasingly desperate Alina tries various strategies to undermine the priest and tempt Voichi?a away. Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days) delivers a captivating tragi-comedy of sexual hysteria and material want that is both mysterious and enthralling. Winner of the Award for Best Screenplay and Best Actress award for actresses Cosmina Stratan and Cristina Flutur at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival In Romanian with Italian and English subtitles.
Dangerous Liaisons, directed by Stephen Frears, written by Christopher Hampton. (USA/UK) - Narrative. Set in France around 1760, the Marquise de Merteuil needs a favour from her ex-lover, Vicomte de Valmont. One of the Marquise de Merteuil's ex-lovers, Gercourt, is betrothed to a young, virtuous, woman called Cecile de Volanges. The Marquise would like Valmont to seduce Cecile before her wedding day, thus humiliating Gercourt. Meanwhile, Valmont has a conquest of his own in mind: Madame de Tourvel, a beautiful, married, and God fearing woman. The Marquise doesn't think that Valmont can seduce Mme de Tourvel. She tells him that if he can provide written proof of a sexual encounter with Mme de Tourvel, she will offer Him a reward: one last night with her. Nominated for 7 Academy Awards and winner of 3, Dangerous Liaisons stars John Malkovich, Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer. In English with Italian subtitles.
First Winter, directed and written by Benjamin Dickinson. (USA) – Narrative. In this extraordinary debut feature, a blackout of apocalyptic proportions strands a group of Brooklyn hipsters in a remote country farmhouse with no heat and no electricity during the coldest winter on record. At first, it’s all sex and drugs and acoustic guitars. But as the days go on and the food supply dwindles, struggles of power, jealousy and desire, threaten the group’s ability to work together in order to survive. In English with Italian subtitles.
Ripley’s Game, directed by Liliana Cavali, written by Peter Berry, Frank Deasy and Charles McKeown. (USA) - Narrative. Tom Ripley - cool, urbane, wealthy, and murderous - lives in a villa in the Veneto with Luisa, his harpsichord-playing girlfriend. A former business associate from Berlin's underworld pays a call asking Ripley's help in killing a rival. Ripley initiates a game to turn a mild and innocent local picture framer into a hit man. As Ripley draws the picture framer into the game, the master criminal questions if he can maintain control, stop at one killing and fight the unusual turn of developing a conscience. Ripley's Game picks up twenty years from where The Talented Mr. Ripley left off. Starring John Malkovich, Chiara Caselli, Dougray Scott and Ray Winstone, it is a dark, brutal thriller dripping with pitch-black humour. In English with Italian subtitles.
Rust and Bone, directed and written by Jacques Audiard. (France) - Narrative. Put in charge of his young son, Ali, played by Matthias Schoenaerts, leaves the north of France for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. Ali finds work as a bouncer at a local nightclub where he meets Stephanie, played by Marion Cotillard (Inception, Nine, La Vie en Rose), a beautiful self-confident woman. Ali's bond with Stephanie, a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie suffers a horrible accident. Rust and Bone is a passionate moving love story with true commitment and intelligence from its two leading players In French with Italian and English subtitles.
Wagner’s Dream, directed by Susan Froemke (USA) – Documentary. The stakes could not be higher as one of the theater’s finest stage directors teams up with one of the world’s leading opera companies to tackle opera’s most monumental challenge: a new production of Wagner’s Ring cycle—the four-part, 16-hour work that the composer first presented in 1876. Visionary director Robert Lepage begins a five-year journey to create the most ambitious staging in Metropolitan Opera history, featuring a 90,000-pound set (“The Machine”) designed to realize all of Wagner’s scenic instructions. An intimate look at the challenges of live theater and the risks that must be taken, the documentary chronicles the tremendous creativity and unflagging determination behind this daring attempt to realize Wagner’s dream of a perfect Ring. In English with Italian subtitles.
The World Before Her, directed by Nisha Pahuja. (Canada) – Documentary. Weaving together the seemingly opposing stories of the Miss India beauty pageant and a fundamentalist Hindu camp for girls, director Nisha Pahuja illuminates the situation of women across contemporary India, drawing surprising parallels in the way women are perceived and the opportunities that are afforded them in both modernizing and traditional cultures. The World Before Her is a riveting, thoughtful profile of the fundamental contradictions of a country in transition. World Documentary Competition Award Winner at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. In English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati with English and Italian subtitles.
The Zen of Bennett, directed by Unjoo Moon, conceived, created, and produced by Danny Bennett. (USA) – Documentary. At 85, not only does Tony Bennett still have the smoothest pipes in the music business, he’s got the kind of philosophy that has made him one of the most beloved and respected performers of the last six decades. Made with as much class and refinement as Tony himself, this is an insider’s look at the icon as he records his latest duets collection with stars like Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin, and—bittersweetly— the late Amy Winehouse. In English with Italian subtitles.
# # #
About The Tuscan Sun Festival:
Associazione Culturale del Sole and its producer, IMG Artists, are bringing the Tuscan Sun Festival to Florence for the first time, with a programme of leading international musicians, artists, actors and chefs. Working in tandem with some of Florence’s most important venues and presenters, the festival represents another step in the city’s ambition to strengthen its position as a leading cultural destination. Tickets for the Tuscan Sun Festival can be purchased from www.tuscansunfestival.com.
About Tribeca Enterprises:
Tribeca Enterprises is a diversified global media company based in New York City. Established in 2003 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, the company currently operates a network of branded entertainment businesses including the Tribeca Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival International, Tribeca Cinemas and Tribeca Film, a distribution label. It also has a strategic partnership with the Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy.
The company’s mission is to provide artists with unique platforms to expand the audience for their works and to broaden the access point for consumers to experience independent film and media.
About IMG Artists:
Dynamic, diverse and innovative, IMG Artists is the global leader in the performing arts management, touring, consulting, government advisory, facilities management, and festival business. With ten offices in eight countries, IMG Artists stays ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of entertainment.
For further information, please contact:
Tristen Hennigs, International Press
thennigs@imgartists.com
Laura Ruggieri, Italian Press
l.r.comunicazione@libero.it
Robert De Niro and Barrett Wissman bring us Tribeca Firenze
New York, NY and Florence, Italy (7 May 2012) – The Tuscan Sun Festival and Tribeca Enterprises(TE), the parent company of the Tribeca Film Festival founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthaland Craig Hatkoff in lower Manhattan in 2002, announced today Tribeca Firenze, which will bring world-class film premieres to the widely-anticipated Tuscan Sun Festival in Florence, Italy 11-18 June, founded by Barrett Wissman in 2003. Legendary performer and 17-time Grammy winner Tony Bennett is the first major celebrity to confirm participation in Tribeca Firenze.
Tribeca Firenze joins a stunning lineup of performing artists and celebrities, food, wine, and cultural and historical exhibitions at what the UK’s The Independent newspaper described as ‘one of the ten best festivals in Europe’. The Tuscan Sun Festival and its film initiative Tribeca Firenze are made possible through the principal support of the Ente Cassa di Risparmio of Florence, are being organized under the patronage of Florence Mayor Matteo Renzi and the City of Florence, and in partnership with the Fondazione Teatro della Pergola, the Maggio Musicale of Florence, the Odeon Cinema, and the Palazzo Strozzi. Gucci, the renowned Italian fashion House with strong ties to the City of Florence, will partner with the Tuscan Sun Festival as one of the lead sponsors of the festival.
Tribeca Firenze will feature an extraordinary selection of films screened over five days, handpicked by Tribeca to complement the Tuscan Sun Festival’s broad palette of cultural offerings, bridging other art forms such as music and theatre. Tribeca Firenze will present an international film panorama.
Among the films to be screened, Tribeca Firenze will present the European premiere of the film The Zen of Bennett, with Tony Bennett and his son Danny Bennett, who created and conceived the film, introducing the film. Filmed by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe, the documentary employs a voyeuristic approach while illustrating the isolation experienced by the artist in the midst of the recording sessions for his #1 album Duets II. Illustrating Bennett’s creative process are appearances by John Mayer, Lady Gaga, Michael Bublé and most poignantly, the late Amy Winehouse, all of whom recorded duets with the singer. The Zen of Bennett takes the viewer to a variety of locales including Los Angeles, Nashville, London, Italy – including a visit to Bennett’s ancestral home in Padagoni, Italy, as well as his home and art studio in New York City.
Mr. Bennett will also be giving a special performance on 18 June at Teatro della Pergola as part of the Festival’s 24 Hour Plays project. He will choose four songs that will become the inspiration for the four plays that will be written, rehearsed and performed within a period of 24 hours, and will perform each song before the play that it has inspired. The full schedule of films will be announced over the next few weeks leading up to the festival. The Tribeca Firenze screenings will be held at Florence’s Odeon Cinema, one of Italy’s most elegant and historic art noveau cinema-theatres located in the Palazzo Strozzino, originally built in 1462 during the height of the Renaissance.
The Tuscan Sun Festival is presented by the Associazione Culturale del Sole and produced by IMG Artists (IMGA), the global leader in the performing arts and lifestyle events management, and its strategic visionaries Barrett Wissman and Alexander Shustorovich. About Tribeca Firenze, Jerry Inzerillo, IMGA President and CEO said, “I’ve known Bob De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff for years, and I’m so thrilled that one of my first projects at IMGA will be to work closely with them on launching this fabulous new relationship with Tribeca. We’ve connected two organisations that strive to promote and sustain the arts. Tribeca has a film-lover’s eye for finding and promoting the world’s best movies, so their contribution to the Tuscan Sun Festival will be immediate and lasting.”
“Tribeca’s mission is to provide filmmakers with audiences who are passionate about film, to make independent film accessible to a broad international community, and to move people with the power of cinema. These ideas are at the heart of our partnership with IMGA and the Tuscan Sun Festival,” saidGeoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises.
The Tuscan Sun Festival is expanding its horizons by holding the festival for the first time in its new home of Florence, the capital of Tuscany and the jewel of the Italian Renaissance. In addition to Tribeca Firenze, the Festival will also include an expansive programme of events, concerts, live theatre and culinary adventures, including John Malkovich selecting and presenting some of his best films, and performing as an actor and narrator in a special performance combining music, theatre and projections at the Teatro della Pergola on 17 June.
“The Tuscan Sun Festival has been a labour of love for me and IMGA. The Festival is at its core a platform for the world’s greatest artistic talent and a celebration of the arts. The Tribeca Firenze film programme is a natural extension of the Tuscan Sun Festival and will also reflect the quality it has come to represent. Alexander and I are excited to help launch this new offering and look forward to stars such as Tony Bennett and John Malkovich joining us in Florence and sharing their artistry at our Festival,” said Barrett Wissman, IMGA Partner and Tuscan Sun Festival Founder and Director.
# #
About The Tuscan Sun Festival
Associazione Culturale del Sole and its producer, IMG Artists, are bringing the Tuscan Sun Festival to Florence for the first time, with a programme of leading international musicians, artists, actors and chefs. Working in tandem with some of Florence’s most important venues and presenters, the festival represents another step in the city’s ambition to strengthen its position as a leading cultural destination. Tickets for the Tuscan Sun Festival can be purchased from www.tuscansunfestival.com.
About Tribeca Enterprises:
Tribeca Enterprises is a diversified global media company based in New York City. Established in 2003 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, the company currently operates a network of branded entertainment businesses including the Tribeca Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival International, Tribeca Cinemas and Tribeca Film, a distribution label. It also has a strategic partnership with the Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy.
The company’s mission is to provide artists with unique platforms to expand the audience for their works and to broaden the access point for consumers to experience independent film and media.
About IMG Artists:
Dynamic, diverse and innovative, IMG Artists is the global leader in the performing arts management, touring, consulting, government advisory, facilities management, and festival business. With ten offices in eight countries, IMG Artists stays ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of entertainment.
About Tony Bennett:
Entering his seventh decade as a recording artist with over 100 albums and 17 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Bennett has earned his legendary status many times over. He remains the Columbia recording artist with the greatest longevity at the label. His 2007 prime-time special, “Tony Bennett: An American Classic,” won seven Emmy Awards and was directed by Academy Award winner Rob Marshall. He has performed for 10 US Presidents, from Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr. and Obama. He also worked with and marched alongside Martin Luther King in his 1965 civil rights march and was honored with the Martin Luther King’s Salute to Greatness Award. In addition to performing, he is a visual artist as well, with three of his original paintings featured in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian, including his portraits of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. His humanitarian efforts are renowned and the United Nations honored him with their Humanitarian Award in 2007. He has published three books – his autobiography, “The Good Life,” and two books of his paintings, “Tony Bennett: What My Heart Has Seen,” and “Tony Bennett In the Studio: A Life of Art and Music.” Bennett founded, in association with the Department of Education in New York City, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts – a public arts high school in his hometown of Astoria, Queens. With his wife Susan, he established Exploring the Arts, a charitable organization which supports arts education in NYC public high schools. Exploring the Arts supports 14 public high schools throughout New York City. For more information please visit www.tonybennett.com and www.zenofbennett.com.
For further information, please contact:
Tristen Hennigs, International Press
thennigs@imgartists.com
Laura Ruggieri, Italian Press
l.r.comunicazione@libero.it
Since Barrett Wissman became involved with IMG Artists, the company has been expanding with new offices and festivals around the world.
Robin Newton reports.... THERE WAS A TIME NOT SO LONG ago when IMG, along with CAMI, dominated artist management. The power they wielded gave them an unprecedented level of influence and control; and that was quickly turned into serious money.
The foundations of IMG, however, lay in sport where the constant influx of new stars and the constant exposure of existing champions provide seemingly endless revenue opportunities. The arts, with the exception of a few proven long-term performers, did not yield such riches. By the beginning of the 21st century, the artist management branch of IMG was failing; some reports claimed annual losses of £1m ($1.7m).
Clearly, something had to change. IMG decided to sell its artist management arm but found buyers hard to come by. In 2003, Mark McCormack, the founder and heartbeat of IMG, died suddenly, making the situation more urgent: there was no clear way forward but swift action was essential.
S e e m i n g l y out of the blue, Barrett Wissman appeared. His offer to buy a majority share of IMG’s artist management business was accepted with alacrity and a new era began. Now rebranded as IMG Artists, 70% of the company is owned by Wissman with the remaining 30% remaining in the hands of IMG.
Not surprisingly, Wissman’s appearance generated more questions than it answered. Although his background showed a love of music – he trained as a pianist, has a degree in music and married the cellist Nina Kotova – there was nothing apparent in his professional past to suggest why he might want to take over IMG Artists.
Wissman, however, has been great success. IMG Artists has experienced a considerable recovery: turnover has increased by 40% in two years and is expected to grow between 10% and 15% more in 2006. Add to that a new Singapore office opened in October 2005 with another opened earlier in Italy and things certainly look good for IMG Artists.
Wissman’s belief is that the world of artist management must change rapidly if it is to build a future for itself. ‘There is so much going on around the world today, not just in our kind of music but in all areas, that we are in danger of losing our audience if we don’t nurture it. We as an agency cannot behave as we used to, simply booking artists into engagements the world over and taking commission. We have to work on building our audience. We have to give our artists the opportunity to be involved directly with the public. We have to reenliven the arts and not just take money out. Our job as arts managers is to move in new directions and, because we’re in touch with so many artists at the same time, we’re in a perfect position to do exactly that.’
The challenge facing artist management, Wissman feels, is combining global reach with local understanding. In some ways there is nothing new in this concept; larger agencies with an international remit have commonly relied on small, local agencies for information. Wissman’s modification, however, is to have many smaller offices all under a single management umbrella.
‘Local knowledge is vital,’ he says. ‘It is important to be global because we need to be aware of all the potential opportunities for our artists. Without knowing what is happening on the ground, though, we would never discover these opportunities. The reason we have offices in all these places – which now includes New York, London, Paris, Lucca, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore – is build relationships with local organisations, ministries of culture and so forth.’
Nevertheless, building such a network is only valuable if it is used in the right way. Wissman believes that the key to unlocking this potential lies in creating events. ‘It is essential for us as managers to keep the business of music making alive. You see this on the pop side of the fence with constant thinking about marketing and publicity – always coming up with new ways of getting people interested. I don’t believe that we should necessarily copy that and I am absolutely certain that our art should remain pure but I am quite sure that there are other ways of getting people interested. We want things that become infectious; success stories that everybody wants to buy into. ‘I want to try to create events that bring people together, events that artists really want to come to, events that encourage audiences to get involved and to engage more with the performers.
Four years ago Wissman founded The Tuscan Sun Festival, which is a combination of music, art and literature literature.
Not only that, he also introduced food and wine events into the mix. ‘The idea is that people come and try different things and gradually become more and more involved. It might take a couple of days or three years but we’re encouraging a new audience. The Tuscan Sun Festival has been so successful that we’ve extended the idea to include Napa Valley in the States that will unite the world’s best and most adventurous music making with the visual, literary and culinary arts.’
Singapore is interested in hosting a similar event and in China IMG Artists started a huge music education festival called the Canton Summer Academy with Charles Dutoit as music director. More than 800 students from all over Asia participate in concerts and masterclasses during a week and a half of activities.
None of this is to suggest that IMG Artists is no longer engaged in the day-to-day business of negotiating and scheduling for a large roster of artists. Wissman, however, is convinced that without generating new interest, there will be nothing to book his artists for. ‘The notion of arts management as a booking service is gone. The landscape has changed dramatically in terms of funding and in terms of what people actually want. We have to keep the business alive and at the moment I don’t see other agencies doing this. It might mean that we don’t get rich but
we have to generate successful platforms for our art. If our festivals are of a high enough quality and create the right atmosphere then they will be such platforms.
‘As long as we don’t actually lose money, its worth it to me.’
Reprinted with permission from International Arts Manager magazine.
The TUSCAN SUN FESTIVAL Wins the Tuscan-American Award 2011
Festival Founders Barrett Wissman and Nina Kotova Accept Award
The TUSCAN SUN FESTIVAL, produced by IMG Artists, won the Tuscan-American Award (TAA) for 2011 on September 22nd in Florence. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2012, the Festival was given the award in recognition of its contribution to increasing cultural exchange and friendly relationships between the people of Tuscany and the people of the United States of America. The award also recognises the quality and prestige of the Tuscan Sun Festival’s programming that has brought the little jewel town of Cortona, Italy, to international recognition.
The Tuscan-American Award for the Tuscan Sun Festival was presented to the founders of the Festival, Barrett Wissman and Nina Kotova, by the Tuscan American Association in Florence. Italian and American visitors together make the highest proportion of Tuscan Sun Festival attendees. Further American associations with the Tuscan Sun Festival include concert appearances with American artists such as actors Robert Redford and Anthony Hopkins, violinist Joshua Bell and soprano Renee Fleming; literary events led by writer and festival co-founder Frances Mayes; major exposure on the US network The Cooking Channel (Extra Virgin programme); previous sponsorship by American Express.
Wine, wedding and song
NAPA, California (CNN) -- If Barrett Wissman were in the ministry, his arts festivals would be sunny outposts on a fast-widening mission field. His Tuscan Sun Festival opens Saturday in Cortona, Italy. An all-new Singapore Sun Festival opens October 18.
And a secret known to missionaries everywhere is clearly in sway at the Festival del Sole in Napa Valley, which has just concluded its second year: Bonding with the locals.
With quick fervor, local leaders, the hospitality industry and those all-important vintners of Napa have embraced their festival.
When symphony conductor Stéphane Denève mentioned last year that he'd like to get married there, Tatiana and Gerret Copeland of the Bouchaine wine estate threw the ceremony for them in the vineyards.
"It's a mission in my life to have more and more people enjoy and love the arts," Wissman says in an interview sandwiched between Denève's presentation of the Grieg piano concerto and Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" suite with the Russian National Orchestra.
"One of the reasons that we have these festivals -- engage local communities and have music, literature, art, film, cuisine, wine, all these subjects -- is we attract different people who like each one. And then get them to like something else. Today, our goal in education in the arts is to get everybody involved."
Wissman is uniquely positioned to "get everybody involved."
Read full article at CNN.com >>
Barrett Wissman: Renaissance Man
PARVATHI NAYAR meets Barrett Wissman: chairman of arts management company IMG Artists, philanthropist, pianist and bon vivant
'have always been interested in doing many different things at the same time.' An unusual admission to make in these specialist times, when the age of the generalist, polymath or Renaissance man seems long gone. But Barrett Wissman - chairman of IMG Artists, also financier, philanthropist, classical pianist and bon vivant - is an unusual combination. You could call him a creative businessman, or a man interested in the business of creativity.
Today, with an annual turnover exceeding US$100 million, 'we are the largest arts management company globally,' says Mr Wissman. IMG Artists represents some 500 top artists - Hilary Hahn, James Galway, Lang Lang, Murray Perahia, the Oslo Philharmonic with Andre Previn, and Pilobolus among others. Mr Wissman's personal contacts have expanded the areas of business, as in extending their representation of violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman to Europe.
IMG Artists is acknowledged as an initiator of arts projects, making television documentaries such as the Art of Conducting, and presenting soloists or groups like the world famous Spanish Riding School of Vienna. Before Mr Wissman invested in IMG Artists in 2003 - apparently a white knight operation, with the company going through a bad patch - it was owned wholly by IMG, the international sports and lifestyle management
company. Mr Wissman's takeover shook up the arts world and especially classical music management. But it was welcomed by insiders who recognised in the Dallas-based businessman a passionate advocate for the arts.
'It was fascinating to me, to combine my interests in music, the arts in general and business - this gave me a platform to actually make a difference,' says Mr Wissman over a morning coffee. Why not just start up an artist management company on his own? 'This is a business that is so reputation-based, it is virtually impossible to create overnight.' A time-tested brand name is the way out of arts management's Catch 22: you can't build a base of A-list clients who trust you to manage their careers/lives, if you haven't already built up a reputation with A-list clients.
Now, says Mr Wissman, 'our artists play in top venues round the world from Carnegie Hall to the Esplanade, whose programmers know that we can achieve very interesting things'.
He admits it will, take several years to establish the IMG presence in Asia, 'but it's working.' He cites examples like setting up the new Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in Kuala Lumpur; and being hired by the Chinese government to set up a musical festival in Guangzhou, called the Canton International Festival, that expects over 1,000 talented students this summer for the inaugural event.
Mr Wissman also believes in scouting for new talent. He picked up early on the current classical music fave, piano prodigy Lang Lang, who will perform at the Singapore Arts Festival this year. His approach is enlightened: 'When you take on artists as young as Lang Lang, it is important to develop and guide them, so they don't play too much or too little, and in the right venues. We always listen to what the artists want to do, the kind of music they want to play and where, even if this doesn't have a huge economic return. To be a great artist you also have to learn about life, have other influences come into your life. We need to give (Lang Lang) time to become a person, not just book him to play 150 times a year.'
The arts management business has a multiple revenue structure, from a simple percentage of the fee when an artist is booked, to managing an entire tour, and beyond. Currently, Asia represents some 10-15 per cent of the business but 'it is going to be the fastest growing, because you have countries like Singapore paying attention to the arts, as well as 'developed' countries, artistically speaking, like Japan.'
The company has offices in Kuala Lumpur, but Mr Wissman sees real potential in the Singaporean initiative to push the arts envelope. Having travelled widely and participated in the arts debate round the world, there is weight to his observation that Singapore is doing all the right things for classical music, from hardware - the Esplanade - to investing in niche areas like the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.
He comments: 'I first came to Singapore many years ago; over the years I have seen few places that have tried so hard in such a concerted way to build an arts environment. You often hear today that the arts are 'dying' but I disagree. I feel it's the traditional arts cities like New York that are facing problems in terms of keeping it fresh and relevant. Developing centres for the arts - whether Dallas, Lithuania, Shanghai or Singapore - is where the new energy is. I've seen a lot of new building going on, cultural centres come up, in all these places and I'm quite hopeful.
'The arts are extremely relevant - in making us stop to think of what we are as human beings. It is part of our identity, part of overall nation building,' he says; and adds, bringing the discussion back to dollars and cents, 'it also helps the tourist business. Singapore is a good place to do business. It has access to both India and China, yet because there is a strong mix of cultures here, isn't identified too strongly with one or the other.' With classical music appearing as a recurring leitmotiv in our conversation, it's no surprise to hear: 'I started out as a pianist.' In fact, he started very young, performing on the piano with well-recognised orchestras from age 11. 'Then my father died and I got involved in his business activities.'
He went into a successful business career, among other things making money backing Internet startups in the '90s. Along the way he graduated cum laude from Yale University in economics and political science. 'I got an advanced degree in music while I was an entrepreneur from the Southern Methodist University and the Accademia Chigiana in Italy, and continued to play at venues including St Johns Smith Square.' He still plays from time to time, sometimes with his wife Nina Kotova, a professional cellist, who 'swept him away' when he saw her playing at a London concert. But as Mr Wissman admits, he is a perfectionist and if he does play, it must be well, a philosophy that he carries over into the business arena.
Part of his personal philanthropy has centred around the Cremona Society, an international organisation he created with an unusual mission: to collect and loan priceless instruments to deserving soloists. For this purpose the Society has bought more than 10 violins and cellos - each ranging in value from US$100,000 to several million dollars.
He still has diverse business interests, is a principal in several financial management and investment advisory companies, and is on the boards of several for-profit and non-profit enterprises. His asset management business, Arbitex, is largely handled now by efficient staff; he just overseas operations, but says: 'We have products doing well.'
While he respects the goodwill that the name IMG Artists carries, he isn't precious about it. 'Historically, our company did not deal with the corporate sector. Again historically speaking, this is because funding of the arts in Europe comes from the state, and in the US from corporate philanthropy. But as the economic landscape changes, the arts must survive on an economic model in the future - and in order to do that it must involve the corporates. The corporate world does see increasing value in the arts. Corporate social responsibility - also known as philanthropy - is just one aspect. I'm talking more in terms of marketability and branding.'
He cites the example of Singapore Press Holdings presenting Mamma Mia! the musical, and the visibility and stature that such an association brings. Also, 'till now, we have dealt with government agencies and venues, now we are looking ot all sides of the equation and advising corporates directly.'
For example, IMG has advised UBS in putting together the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra, which came to Singapore a few months ago. 'It is an orchestra made up of young, talented musicians; the ages range from 15 to 29. These are not ordinary music students, but extremely talented young professionals who need this environment from which to get real experiences.'
The C wordIntegration is central to Mr Wissman's vision of where he would like to take the arts management business. 'Movie or sports stars are represented in all parts of their life. But in the arts, the players are presented only as performers. Our job should be to present to the world all aspects of the performer. Gone are the days when we can just be agents.'
On the one hand this might smack of commercialism but on the other, the arts, just like the movies or sports need personalities. Audiences are built around people who capture the imagination - whether mass or niche - and have a mystique or curiosity factor around them, he says.
Mr Wissman emphasises it is not a matter of overexposure but managing exposure. 'It was considered bad taste in the past in the arts, but look at a partnership like Rolex and Yo Yo Ma. It is about integrating art into everyday life. Our job is to bring to our clients that kind of cognition.'
He sees a lot of dissonance between presenters, managers and recording companies, functions he would like to integrate. 'We produce DVDs and audios for our clients as promotional, archival and documentary material. But we are also thinking seriously about creating our own label' to make the management of the artists more cohesive structurally.
Moving to more personal tastes, 'I am a very aesthetically oriented person, an amateur student of architecture and interior design.' He narrates how he was so taken up with paua shells in New Zealand, he went to incredible lengths to find a company that would make paua shell tiles for his home. 'I love materials and colours - both opulent and minimalist. In one of my homes I have mixed together minimalist and Oriental design, with many Indian artefacts and an Indian garden.'
So where is he based? That's a very good question, he responds, 'I am based in St Croix, and have homes in Montana, Italy and Texas.' He enjoys travelling, speaks German, Italian and Spanish well, French to an acceptable level, and is currently learning Russian; is a bit of a foodie, and enthuses about Singapore's 'wonderfully complex' food combinations; and appreciates painting. He acquires art, not as a collector with an eye to investment but as a way of expressing himself: 'I like buying things that I enjoy, I don't buy things that are popular nor the things that you are 'supposed' to buy.'
Revealingly, when we talk of what has inspired him, he doesn't pick out names in business, it's all from the world of music - 20th Century Russian music, culturally-specific sounds like Moroccan or Indian music, composers like Bach. It's an easy transition to the music he likes to play - Bach, Prokofiev, Brahms - and the music he likes to listen to - Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff. He says simply: 'I love music intensely, it is one of the things that keeps me fresh - and the artists we represent see that. Many (managers) become hardened and cold in the business.'
While Mr Wissman has translated his desire to do many things simultaneously into practical reality, he also enjoys the dividends of his primary investment and hard work: to keep music an active part of his life.
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