What did a Toronto geek pay to conduct Mahler?

The entrepreneur Mandle Cheung, 78, conducted the Toronto Symphony in Mahler’s second symphony this week. According the New York Times he paid less than $400,000 for the privilege.

That’s dirt cheap.

Norio Ohga, Sony’s CEO, paid a million bucks to the Boston Symphony and the Met Opera orchestra for the chance to conduct them. Four hundred grand shouldn’t even buy you a rehearsal with a top orchestra.

Also in the Times report: Mark Williams, the Toronto Symphony’s chief executive, said the concert was part of the orchestra’s efforts to diversify its revenues.

Ho-hum.

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