ABOUT

I really had no intention of going into artist management.  In 1964, Rudolf Serkin asked if I could help with some concert requests for his 17-year-old son, Peter.  Always ready for a new challenge, I agreed. And here I am, over 50 years later, managing an entire roster of great artists.

Since we have never viewed our management activities solely as business, we have only represented artists we felt had original voices, with whom we could develop a special rapport.  Our philosophies and ideals have not changed, even in the face of changing times.  We are committed to cultivating our artists’ potential through personal involvement in every aspect of career development.  We believe in preserving and advancing the classical music art form through creative management and through partnerships of artists, management and presenters. 

This philosophy of management was borne of a lifetime of education from many brilliant and generous people.  There are too many to list, but two stand out in my mind for the valuable lessons they taught me.  Rudolf Serkin taught me to strive for the exceptional, since given life’s normal compromises, one might still attain something on a very high level.  By observing Alexander Schneider, I realized that we must try to live every part of our lives to the fullest, with passion and love.  

We take pride in having helped to build the careers of some of this country's most compelling and original artists - pianists Richard Goode, Murray Perahia, and Peter Serkin; clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, the first artist on his instrument to have a major international career, recognized with the recent SONY/RCA release of a 40 CD Box; conductor Peter Oundjian, Conductor Emeritus of the Toronto Symphony; violinist/conductor Jaime Laredo; and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, among others. And what an honor to have supported the special gifts of Sir Simon Rattle for forty years and Leon Fleisher for the last twelve years of his life.  

We also take pride in introducing to North America some of the most heralded touring projects of our time: Rattle & the UK’s City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Serhiu Celibidache & the Munich Philharmonic; John Adams & Ensemble Modern; Masaaki Suzuki & Bach Collegium Japan; Richard Goode & Budapest Festival Orchestra; and many others. My devoted colleague Barrie Steinberg, President of Frank Salomon Associates, and I, and our terrific team are determined to continue our efforts for personalized management of the next generation of wonderful young artists and projects that we represent. 

AFFILIATIONS

I also feel very lucky to have the chance of being active in many different areas of music, which has broadened my perspective on what the role of an artist manager can be.

As a concert presenter, I have the pleasure of managing New York's oldest and most beloved recital and chamber music series, Peoples' Symphony Concerts.  The series offers 18 concerts per season, allowing New Yorkers of modest means the opportunity of hearing some of music's most illustrious names and rising stars for half the price of a movie.

As founder, in 1969 of the annual New York String Orchestra Seminar, culminating in two remarkable Carnegie Hall concerts at Christmastime, we have tried to open new musical worlds for some of the country's most gifted 16-23 year-old musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma and artists who have gone on to become important figures in every area of music, including the concertmasters of over forty major symphony orchestras. For the 50th Anniversary of NYSOS, Carnegie Hall commissioned a wonderful 17- minute documentary that will give you a good idea of the impact that the program has had for its young musicians and for the music world, at large.

Although two completely separate organizations, I liken the Seminar to a Triple A farm team for the Marlboro Music School and Festival, where I have had a remarkable 50+ year partnership since 1960 as Co-Administrator with Anthony Checchia.  It's where I met my wife Martha, where our daughters grew up, and where I continue, as a senior advisor, to learn musical and life lessons each summer.

PARTNERS

The International Arts Foundation (IAF), a non-­profit organization, was founded in 1990 to enrich communities by promoting international exchange in the arts, supporting interdisciplinary and/or thematic projects and fostering collaborations among composers, artists, students and the general public. 

Frank Salomon Associates, Inc. owes so much to all four organizations, as do I.

Frank Salomon