ArtsWatch

Vladimir Jurowski has canceled his dates next week leading the Philadelphia Orchestra. The Russian conductor is ill - an ear and sinus infection that puts air travel out of the question. He's grounded for three weeks, his manager says.
It's a terrible shame. Jurowski, 36, has visited twice before, drawing spectacular performances from the orchestra. His April 10, 11 and 12 repertoire looked simply like a tip of the hat to 2001: A Space Odyssey, with Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra, Ligeti's Atmosphères, the Brahms Violin Concerto, and that other Strauss' Blue Danube Waltz.
But if you think about it, four such stylistically opposed works on a single program would have settled the question about who this personality is - not to mention indicated whether it was time to have some more formal relationship with Jurowski (whatever title that might have entailed).
Now, instead, we'll be learning more about Roberto Minczuk, who makes his first subscription appearance with these concerts. Minczuk made his debut with the orchestra at the Mann Center in 2003. He is in his second season as music director of the Calgary Philharmonic, and is artistic director of the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira in Rio de Janeiro. The program, with violinist Nikolaj Znaider, stays the same.
Jurowski is slated to conduct the orchestra again next season.