The great Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer caused a bit of a sensation recently when he abruptly canceled his appearance at the annual Verbier Music Festival in Switzerland in protest of its air of “sensationalism” and emphasis on celebrity status.

“Let’s admit – all of us have something to do with the poisonous development of our music world, in which ‘stars’ count more than creativity, ratings more than genuine talent,” he wrote in his cancellation letter.

His withdrawal from the festival prompted a dialogue among musicians and music aficionados about the role and prevalence of celebrity in the classical music world.  Most people seem to come down on the side of this great artist and his resolution to “leave it to those… who have overwhelming capacities to please crowds, but who are often themselves quite EMPTY and artistically lost.”

I must admit to some sympathy with this viewpoint myself.

On the one hand, certain great performers have deservedly earned celebrity status through their outstanding artistry.  It is appropriate and natural to celebrate (which, after all, is the root word behind celebrity) their talent and achievements.  And sometimes a little more emphasis on celebrity would benefit our industry.  (At least a few of these artist management firms could make sure their stable artists have some decent PR materials – good color photos that newspapers would be interested in running, for instance?)  On the other, it seems the emphasis on celebrity often vaunts the beautiful but artistically shallow to the forefront in place of those with more artistic depth.

I asked Maestro Felder for his thoughts on the matter.  He emailed back:

“What I have found is yes indeed there are ‘superstars’ populating the ranks of classical musicians.  Many have been arbitrarily crowned a ‘superstar’ and many have earned the moniker as a result of years of hard work and sacrifice.  It is important in any discussion of ‘superstardom’ that we acknowledge the fact that within the ranks of the latter are thousands who will never be written about in the national media, will never receive the astronomical fees, nor have a ten year long list of future engagements.  However, they are consummate artists, offering performances infused with passion, artistry, and breathtaking technical prowess.”

As I read this, I thought immediately of my own father.  He developed the same distaste for the “music business” as Gidon Kremer, but as a much younger man.  He turned aside in his early 20s from his career track as a concert pianist and chose instead the vocation of a teacher.  Established as a professor of music at a midwestern university conservatory, he led a successful but largely unheralded 30-year career as a leading member of the rich musical community that grows up around a vibrant music school.  In that time he remained active teaching private lessons, theory, history and pedagogy, performing throughout the community and state, and composing prolifically.

A vivid memory is watching him play the Beethoven Fourth Piano Concerto a few years back with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra.  The depth of artistry in that performance surpassed nearly everything I have heard before or since, and I’ve heard many of the great pianists in concert over the years of my career.

We do right to celebrate the Joshua Bells, Yo-Yo Mas and Itzhak Perlmans.  But let’s remember that what we’re celebrating is the example of their artistry – and that this should enable us to recognize, appreciate and celebrate talent wherever we encounter it -- even when it isn’t slickly packaged and endorsed by a big-name New York management firm.