Q&A with Eva Pires, Artist Manager at CLB Management
Following the completion of the 2019 Quatuors à Bordeaux Competition, in which two winners (the Marmen and Simply Quartets) were announced, we catch up with Eva Pires, Artist Manager at CLB Management and Project Manager leading the Bordeaux Competition Winners' Tour - the top prize awarded to the laureates.
Q: How long has CLB Management been involved with the organisation of the Competition's Winner's Tours?
EP: We started working for Quatuors à Bordeaux in 2015, one year before the 2016 competition took place. This was a very successful first tenure as we managed, together with our colleagues in Japan (Reiko Tanaka), Germany (Claudia Fehlandt-Köster), and Italy (Isabella Bertoni), to offer the winner 40 concerts in total.
Q: How do you explain the success of such a project?
EP: Most of the promoters we approached saw in the ‘First Prize’ winner a guarantee of high musical standard as well as a very useful marketing tool in engaging with potential audiences interested in the next generation of musicians.
Q: How well has the idea of promoting young artists in this particular way been received?
EP: It varies, of course. Some promoters are keen to present young artists and, as mentioned above, a prize is a good incentive for the audience to buy tickets and attend the concert. Some are not so sure that the 'First Prize' would have been their choice and prefer to wait until they hear all the finalists. Some have different ideas and it does not always materialisewith a concert, but at least the name of the ensemble is circulating, which is a very important aspect of the agency's involvement.
Q: Is it the only competition with which CLB Management is working?
EP: We are talking to other competitions: some have their own promotional network and prefer to manage it internally; some are exploring the idea; and others have already signed with other agents. We are in touch with a few major competitions to collaborate in different ways, whether it be organising tours or giving lectures to provide the laureates with advice on their future development.
Q: What is the benefit of this involvement for CLB Management?
EP: We have always considered it part of our duty to look after young artists in all fields, including now the young generation of conductors. This is for us as important as supporting diversity and working in the field of contemporary music and creative projects.
However, it has become increasingly difficult to do so. In that context, competitions can really help bring young artists to the attention of promoters and the public at the time of the event, and ensure that the winners can enjoy their success over a longer period, after which they should have already established themselves.
Read more about this year's winners here!
Eva Pires