Till Dönch

Till Dönch has been working in the music management business in Vienna for four decades and has represented artists such as Till Fellner, Paul Lewis and Marc-André Hamelin. I learn unknown facts from him about his “secret service” activities and I uncover mysterious parallels to his famous agent colleague James Bond: his worldwide network, Bond girl Ursula Andress and the agent city Vienna; his fascination for fast cars and the appeal of working "undercover"...

Mr. Dönch, there have been a dozen James Bond films so far. As far as I know, none of them really describes in detail how "007" became an agent. Perhaps you can reveal your secret for us today: How did you become an agent?

Oh dear! It wasn't as exciting as James Bond, I must say. It was totally banal. I was forced to move from my native city of Salzburg to Vienna due to school failures, extreme school failures. At the age of 18, I tried to catch up on my school-leaving exams here but didn't succeed. I unfortunately skipped two subjects. And it was really getting too stupid for me. So, I thought to myself: I want to work and earn money now. Then I gradually slipped into this whole world via an assistant director's job in a German touring theater production. And subsequently I worked "on the other side", i. e. with event organizers. First, there was a festival called "Musikalischer Sommer in Wien" (Musical Summer in Vienna), which was then followed by "Klangbogen" (Sound Arch). That gave me enormous pleasure. I was responsible for the preparation and logistics together with a colleague. And in consequence, we worked together intensively, especially with the Vienna-based agency "Raab und Böhm". After two years, Dr. Böhm, with whom I got on very well, asked me if I would like to join the agency.

What do you find exciting about your profession that many people don't even know exists?

That' s right! And that' s already a really good point! Moreover, I'm very happy about it! For one thing, the appeal of the profession is that it's so incredibly varied, to be the communicator, the link between the two poles, between artists and promoters. It's not just about fixing dates and negotiating fees. It is also about planning for rehearsals and everything that happens in the immediate vicinity of the concert. And that' s exciting and multifaceted. And secondly, the attraction is that you are in the background and the others often don't know what you are doing. And that suits me very well. It' s not because it's so mysterious now. It may now sound like understatement, yet it is simply beautiful and brings me joy to sit in concert and to listen to my artist, to my orchestra or to my ensemble, while being one of the audiences. Again, I come back to the world of singers: there it is already different. I know from some of my colleagues, and that's perfectly okay, that they are very close to it and are constantly in the artist's room and continuously travel around the world. In this profession, it's probably more important... But I just don't like it that way.

So, coming back to a parallel with James Bond, you prefer to work in the background...

...undercover!

Please tell us about your everyday life, what are your tasks?

In terms of "everyday life", you must distinguish roughly between everyday life in the office in Vienna, which is almost a normal office day, as well as my travels. In other words, my working day in the office starts at 8 in the morning and ends around 6 in the evening. That is really office work of the highest order: phone calls and more and more e-mails, which makes me feel a bit sorry for myself. Then the other part of my day looks like going to concerts in the evening.

And then there's the other side of my day, which is when I'm on the road. Meaning that I go to one of my artists' concerts. May it be within Austria or beyond its borders. Alternatively, as in the case of Till Fellner, that I try to travel to America or elsewhere at least every two years. On these trips, everyday life is inevitably very different. When you sit in the hotel with your laptop, at different times because of the lag, and try to have conversations with organizers on the spot. Or meeting friends you've made over the years and maintaining social contacts. These are the two "everyday tracks". Although the pure office routine really occupies a large part of the time.

Just for comprehension: You are sitting in the office, the phone rings. There is an inquiry, in most cases - this is how I understand it - about a particular artist? Or do they also ask for your advice, for example: "Mr. Dönch, who could you recommend to us, who do you have in your portfolio?"

Yes, I would say that the main part of my work, the "back-breaking", is the "becoming active by myself". It consists in promoting my artists and their programs. I am a one-person office.

That means, my focus is on Austria. Since there is so much going on here, the situation is quite pleasant, because you know the promoters for years and decades. Sometimes the organizers approach me, but this is usually in emergencies, and ask: "Don't you have a pianist, don't you have a string quartet that can play next week?" From this then comes a certain automatism: is the artist free? If he's free, what kind of program can he play? And that then goes all the way to the fee agreements.

What special skills does a music agent, an artist manager, need to possess?

He must show great empathy toward everyone. That' s my opinion now. I simply have an ability to communicate. I like it when you bring the organizers and the artists together. And not dictating to the gentlemen: "The artist is free on this date and plays this program. Eat or die, bird!" I believe it is much more worthwhile for everyone if you show understanding for all sides involved.

Is the increasing digitalization in the music industry a challenge for your profession? Yet there are already platforms on which you can "order" a musician...

Well, it's a challenge, but I must confess that digitalization doesn't really affect me that much anymore. It is probably more of a challenge for those colleagues who are now looking to build up an agency.

It gets dead and boring when you get 20 photos of the dinner after the concert. And that bothers me a bit, because what's actually essential fades into the background: "I, artist X, am in the service of the composer!" That may seem like great banality, but sometimes I feel that the focus tends to be more toward self-interest.

Has this self-promotion become more prevalent?

I think so! Simply because the visual aspect is becoming more and more prevalent. And this is a development that has taken place over the last 20 years or so.

I just remembered a saying of Annemarie Schindler in our first interview: "Today there is a lot of hubbub at concerts. It has become showier but not necessarily better because of it!"

Yeah, right! Absolutely!

...and she added: "There is no Rubinstein anymore. But fortunately, there are still artists like Beatrice Rana, among others."

Yes, exactly! And that' s what the great art is all about. And that's where true skill reveals itself, when artists stand on stage, sit or whatever they do, and get a hold of the audience without any big fuss. I love moments like that, when people are so gripped that it's dead silent in the hall.

After a successful concert, presumably hardly anyone thinks about how much work and perhaps also trouble there was involved in organizing it. What are the biggest challenges when it comes to successfully placing an artist with a promoter?

In fact, that's exactly the keyword: after a concert! Frequently, it's not that difficult to refer an artist to a promoter for the first time. It looks different with the re-invitation. I often have a problem with that. This is not only my problem, but I know it from many conversations with my colleagues. After a successful concert, the organizers often say to the artists euphorically: "Yes! You absolutely must come back! We have to do something together!". And then it's our job as agents to follow that up - and exactly nothing happens! We phone, we write, we ask. "How's that, you could have said..." And? Zero! Why is that the case? Because with large organizers on the next day already again a large concert takes place! Then the offer of yesterday is "out of sight, out of mind"! However, it is even more of a challenge to find young artists in the first place. And it makes almost no difference whether it is a smaller or a larger organizer.

For a concert promoter in Zell am See, who has a small, very fine summer series, has completely different demands or expectations, not only of a financial nature, but also of a programmatic nature, over the Vienna Musikverein, the Konzerthaus or the Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg.

What role do "model photos" and CDs play in this "making appealing"?

I am pleased to see that the organizers are not so much dazzled by sexy photos or glossy folders. Especially the small organizers. Naturally, I also understand why such photos are taken - because you want to present yourself as an artist according to the times. But the shot can only backfire. I also no longer believe in the panacea of the CD as a business card! Unfortunately, very few promoters or orchestra directors take the time to listen to a CD. I often see that when I sit in their offices during talks, that the CDs are piling up! Of course, they can't listen to everything.

Also, the personality on a CD or a video clip probably doesn't come across the way it does live in a concert. No matter how well a person plays the piano, I can imagine that his personality can be irritating for an organizer or the audience - and that's the only reason why he's not booked...

...good point! For this reason, no live CD can replace a live concert!

Have you ever been in a situation where you weren't sure until the last minute whether the concert would take place at all?

[thinks about it longer] No! Until the last minute not, I could not remember that now. Also, not due to a sudden illness. That was then always at least two days before. I once had a highly unpleasant story on a Far East tour with the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Suddenly, due to political turmoil, two concerts were cancelled at very short notice, and everything had to be rebooked. The entire return trip, the hotels, everything - it was really a nightmare.

In case of dicey situations, do you always have an ace up your sleeve with which you can still convince the organizers?

Good question! Yes! I would have! But the question is whether the organizer thinks the same way. Of course, any agency with a huge portfolio and a large list of artists would be better off. In my case, it is maybe a substitute idea. I am sorry to say that promoters are often not very risk averse. I think it would be nice to give a young artist a chance then. Maybe I'm too naive now, but what can you lose? The concert has already been sold.

Are there criteria by which you select your artists?

(thinks about it longer) Well, criteria...I cannot say that it would be very presumptuous to "choose". Most of the time, my attention was drawn to the artists I represent by recommendations from other artists or colleagues. There is, of course, this so-called gut feeling when you sit down with the artists for the first time in a conversation in a coffee house or wherever and sound out whether there could be a collaboration.

We were talking about CDs earlier and how they're not really a calling card anymore because promoters don't listen to them anyway. Once again, hand on heart: Have you ever accepted or rejected one of your artists after listening to a recording?

No! Never! I have only listened to CDs in the cases that are not directly related to my profession, to get any idea at all. There have been two examples in recent years. Well, one of them is Anoushka Shankar. I once heard her father, Ravi Shankar, at the Dubrovnik Festival years ago, and that fascinated me insanely.

It's so tricky: I have never learned or played an instrument myself. I wouldn't presume to judge the quality of a pianist or a violinist due to listening to a CD. I can only say, yes, I like it. However, I probably have an 08/15 taste.

You certainly dispose of a well-functioning network...

By far not as good as it should be. My focus is on Austria, though, and I really can't complain there. I'm fine there, and it works. And then there's another network that I already appreciate very much: I really like working with colleagues abroad. What does that mean in concrete terms? Let's take the example of Till Fellner, for whom I have been working in general management for ages and three days: I have the so-called local managements in the individual countries, which means that Till Fellner has his own management in Germany, in France, in Spain, in the United States, in Japan and so on. I still don't know the organizers in Japan. Nor do they know me. And that is the network that I fall back on and that I like very much.

You live and work in Vienna, for many people the music capital of Europe, with an almost unlimited supply of concerts with great musicians. Is that more of a blessing or a curse for your work?

Blessing! I can't imagine - to paraphrase Mozart - a better place for my profession. I couldn't imagine London. Or Paris. Or New York, a city I love. Vienna is simply ingenious.

Just for the sake of convenience because everyone comes to Vienna anyway. The artists as well as the agents, and you just meet here in the coffee house. I don't have to go to Hanover or Berlin - I just get on my Vespa or bike and ride into town.

I imagine you are now the subject of envy for many of our readers, thinking, "How wonderful! Mr. Dönch is allowed to attend a nice concert every night!" Is that true, or are the concerts more of a professional obligation and routine for a professional like you?

No, routine by no means. It' s also too diverse for that. Nor is it an obligation. I really enjoy it. Although I do make a distinction: I am much more relaxed when I have nothing to do with an event. I sit in and am happy or annoyed about singers or conductors or whoever.

How many concerts do you think you've heard?

This is quite difficult to say! Oh, I don't know... One hundred a year might be enough...and the whole thing times forty. Well, then we come to about 4000 concerts...

In a previous interview, Annemarie Schindler spoke of the very rare moments of glory at concerts. How many of these moments of glory have you experienced?

Well, I can probably count those great moments in my life on one...to one and a half hands. They happened. But only very few.

Can you still remember such a great moment?

Let me give you just one example: the Beethoven cycle by Till Fellner. And that was not only here in Vienna, but also in New York. That was something very special for me...I really must admit that.

What makes a beautiful concert for you?

When I'm really involved, a nice concert is one in which all the preparations have gone smoothly, whether it's the rehearsal arrangements or the opportunities for the artist to overdo things. If the artist also tells me in advance that it is pleasant for him to play here because the hall is so great. Even though the concert has not yet taken place, he already has a good feeling. When the organizer takes the artist in stride. Staying with the piano: when the artist is happy with the way the instrument has been prepared.

That's how you can tell that the organizer has put some thought into it, even without explicitly pointing it out. All this makes my job easier, and I sit at least halfway relaxed at the concert - I'm never really relaxed at my own concerts.

What is the difference for you between a live concert versus a music broadcast, maybe even of the same concert, on the internet?

Oh dear, on the Internet - I do not like that at all! The difference is one hundred to one. Got that barrier there. It's not even about streaming. Even opera on television - that's not possible. What I need is the direct experience, this immediacy. I need to be in the middle of people. This can also be disturbing, i.e.: coughing or whatever. But it's "human". On the Internet or on television, there's always that wall, even if it's just a glass one.

Do you personally have a favorite genre of music and a favorite instrument?

My favorite instrument is the cello. Although I only represent one cellist, I am incredibly fond of the sound of the cello. And in second place immediately comes the piano.

...and your favorite kind of music? We'll probably get away from the cello...

Oh...now it's getting tricky now! When I put on a CD in private, 90 percent of the time it's The Who, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Beatles, whoever - so it's a completely different story. I am a typical child of the 60s and grew up with rock and pop music.

This music is with me all my life. I don't often go to rock concerts in the stadium, but I' m fascinated to experience people like Bruce Springsteen. And when I see Green Day, I'm completely blown away! I think it's good and important to have this distance from my profession. There, music from the Renaissance can fascinate me just as much as Viennese classical music or even modern music. Whereby I already admit that I am also here a rather 08/15 listener.

...Again, a quick summary: Bach or Rolling Stones?

Rolling Stones!

Do you play an instrument yourself?

I struggled with the piano myself once in school, but it was shattering. Maybe that's where my boundless admiration for any pianist comes from. When I was not yet involved, I went to the concert and the artist sat down at the piano. In the meantime, however, I know what is behind it all. An instrument, even if it's "just" a piano, costs a lot of money, and you must be able to afford it. And the perseverance and constant practicing - I have the greatest respect for that!

On your website, you quote Sir Thomas Beecham as saying, "There are two golden rules for an orchestra: begin together and end together. The audience doesn't care what happens in between" and add: "It is our endeavor to change this."

I would like to add that the audience often does not care whether a piano in a concert is good or bad, and I see it as my mission to change this. But back to the question:

To what extent have you succeeded in imparting an awareness, an understanding of quality, to audiences and event organizers in your almost 40 years in the business?

Whether I succeeded or not, I don't dare to answer. However, to a large extent, the artists I have brought in have succeeded. It doesn't matter whether they are called the Minetti Quartet, Paul Lewis or Till Fellner - and it doesn't matter which instrumentalists they are: I also notice from the audience's reactions after a concert that the visitors are simply "hooked".

...and could you explain why a pianist should play better on an excellent instrument than on an ordinary one?

It is a completely different approach for the pianist if he doesn't have to cramp up and constantly have in mind how he can or must get what out of the piano. I get to hear only a small part of it, but there are some scurrilous stories of pianos that are either not prepared at all, or completely off, which then puts most pianists under pressure. It is much more relaxed to play on a good instrument and also the quality of the concert is a thousand to one.

Hand on heart...do you personally hear the difference?

Meanwhile, yes! I can't explain it, how I can notice the difference, but yes, I do.

Has the music business - both in front of and backstage - changed in the time you've been involved?

[thinks about it for a long time] How can I properly express it...it has become more professional. Today the organizers offer much more than in the past. For instance, the poor artists no longer must stay in some cold room and are also well fed, which is an unbelievably important component. The environment in close temporal proximity to the concert, say 1½ hours before and after, is quite important. It can be the chocolate bar or the fruit. All these details have changed very much for the better. And the attitude of the organizers, "the artist should be happy that he is allowed to play with me at all", doesn't exist so often anymore.

On stage... not so much has changed, I think. No... [thinks about it for a while] ... Yes, the audience has changed - the music lovers who regularly attend concerts have become more "knowledgeable" than they used to be.

Is the audience in Austria, and especially in Vienna, different from other countries?

Yes, it is! For me, the extreme examples, because I'm not used to it at all, are China and the USA. People in China are not at all afraid to go in and out. We never used to have that, not even in the cinema. But nowadays, I've just seen the new James Bond, and there's a constant coming and going in the cinema here, too. People are getting cola, popcorn, etc. - it annoys me. In China, I have experienced this constant coming and going also in the concerts. There, people also pick up a cell phone completely unabashedly. And in the USA the audience differs again. For example, the Americans are much quicker to give a standing ovation. There, I'm always happy for the artists. In our country, people are much more reserved. Someone must have already shown very special achievements. It doesn't necessarily have to be directly related to the concert. If an artist has an incredible career spanning 30 or 40 years, we still honor that with a standing ovation. And here again, you must distinguish between a classical concert and the opera. In the opera, people are much more enthusiastic.

Have the artists changed?

I think that artists have changed. Specifically, in their approach to their art. In terms of "how do I shape my career" or "how do I get publicity at all". This is where we come back to the topic of "social media". It has changed also in the sense that most artists take care of their own social media presence.

You are about to take a well-deserved retirement in the foreseeable future: Is it possible for you to live at all without the music, without your artists?

..."well-deserved" – I don't know...

I just inserted the word impulsively out of politeness...

Thank you, I'm touched! Yes, I'm officially going to retire on January 1, but I'm not throwing in the towel. For a few artists, Till Fellner, Paul Lewis, I'll continue, that's for sure. Probably also for Marc-André Hamelin, as well as for the young violinist Benjamin Herzl. That is a real concern for me, because I really have related to them for a long time.

But aside from that, I can well imagine looking at the programs of the Musikverein, Konzerthaus and other organizers and quite deliberately choosing concerts to listen to without being involved. I cannot imagine quitting completely on January 1. Actually, I'm afraid I'd be one of those who wouldn't be able to do anything with myself, regardless of all the plans I have now about what I want to do. Anyway, I'm not sure that I won't reinvest time I gain from next season, since I'll be representing far fewer artists, back into my remaining artists anyway, and just torture the promoters even more than I do now.

...that's perfect for our future collaboration within the piano duo project anyway, when in the end three pianists remain...

Today, if you had to choose again, what would you have preferred? Which would you rather have become: Artist manager or musician? Or perhaps you would have preferred to be a secret agent? And why?

Secret agent! Of course, one of the first James Bond movies was with Ursula Andress, so of course I had an instant crush...so, I'm just trying to get back to the question...manager or artist? I think manager. Just to put yourself under that kind of pressure, just to take that step onto the podium - it's awesome!

I was an enthusiastic extra at the Volksoper for three years. Sometimes there were also small, usually silent, solo performances. It was great to feel the adrenaline, but I always thought: I don't need this all the time... So I'd better be a secret agent!

What private plans do you have for your "new freedom"?

Oh, God! This is relatively simple and totally banal: One is working through mountains of books that are piling up. I have so much to read. Literature has always been one of my hobbyhorses.

...what would be the next book?

The book is called: "How to build a car" by Adrian Newey. He' s a Formula 1 race car designer. If the previous question had been, "What was your dream job?", I would have answered: Racing car driver!

...so, travelling to Formula One races also be on the list of private plans?

That's a good question! I don't think so. I just can't persuade Renate, my wife, to do that. And if I could then I would also like to share something like that with her.

Traveling is also an item on the list, though. There are a few spots on the map that I would like to see. These include Japan and Argentina. I was there once, and it thrilled me so much that I definitely want to do that again. And I would also like to do a rowing course on the Old Danube, as I find this movement so great. And I want to listen to all the songs of Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton and Leonard Cohen, with the lyrics in front of my nose. But for that I must get very, very old, because Bob Dylan alone wrote over 600 songs...That is already a lot of plans...Ha! And one more thing! Learning to cook! Now it's time to cook! Not just eating out all the time...

What's your favorite dish?

I am a great pasta lover. I could dig into pasta in all its variations.

Will we continue to meet you at one concert or another?

Absolutely!

What do you wish for the classical music business in the future?

Having fewer cell phones in the concerts! And that the music industry focuses more on the live concert experience again and less on canned music. Sure, it's nice to have the option of sitting in front of the stereo at home. However, nothing can replace a live experience.

Till Dönch, thank you very much for the interview!