Thanks, but no thanks

Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Finnish composer-conductor and former Los Angeles Philharmonic maestro touted as a likely successor to Alan Gilbert as the next music director of the New York Philharmonic – Salonen is currently the orchestra’s composer-in-residence – tells The New York Times’ Michael Cooper that “a new conducting position would not be logistically possible with the demands of my composing schedule.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/23/arts/music/esa-pekka-salonen-says-being-new-york-philharmonics-maestro-still-isnt-a-goal.html

Meanwhile, Norman Lebrecht, on his Slipped Disc blog, directs readers to an interview with Manfred Honeck, music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and another presumed New York Phil front-runner, in which Honeck tells Finnish journalist Vesa Siren that “I feel an obligation to stay in Pittsburgh” and that “I think Esa-Pekka would be the right person” for New York:

http://slippedisc.com/2016/01/exclusive-manfred-honeck-says-esa-pekkas-best-for-the-new-york-philharmonic/