Our tribute from IAMA

 

A while ago Andrew and I were invited by Atholl Swainton-Harrison, General Secretary of IAMA (International Artists Management Associatuion) to a dinner to mark our retirement after 53 years in the business.

Always happy to have a free dinner we gladly accepted. Then by stages things gor complicated. The first sign of trouble was when Atholl mentioned the dinner would follow a general meeting of IAMA members from all over the world but we would be guests of honour. Then, Atholl suggested the assembled agents might be interested in a panel discussion of our experiences. We could hardly refuse. Next, we learned that we would not be alone on the panel; Lydia Connolly, a senior figure at Harrison Parrott who Andrew knew slightly but whom I had never met. The session was to be moderated by Helen Sykes which was a relief. 

Nonetheless, Andrew said in anticipation that this was going to be the worst night of his life and wondered what we were going to say. I replied; no problem - we'll just tell them anecdotes from our career.

There was one further piece of bad news however. The assembled IAMA members were going to be joined by the Association Europeene des Agents Artistiques who count 80 members from 17 countries and are completely separate from IAMA.

The first thing to happen was for us to introduce ourselves. I stood up and loudly proclaimed: My name is Robert Slotover. You won't know me because I never attend IAMA meetings. I can't stand the idea of a room full of agents.'  This got a laugh. I was encouraged. However it proved to be the only laugh of the evening despite our more and more desperate attempts to tell amusing stories. 

Andrew got off to a bad start by describing the moment when he and I discovered classical music. "One day when Robert and I were messing about in the attic of his house..." There was no return from there. 

I also may have put my foot in it by recounting the story of why the forerunner of IAMA - the British Association of Concert Agents (BACA) left the European Association. I told this story with some glee before remembering there were members of the AEAA present. The great Howard Hartog had been attending a meeting of the AEAA when the redoubtable Dutch agent Mrs. Beek got up and requested to move a motion thhat the Association built a rest home for retired agents. At this, Howard stood up and marched out of the room followed by the rest of the British delegation never to go back.

I'm glad to say the dinner was delicious. I was sitting next to Marcus Axt with whom I had had dealings when he was at the Berlin Philharmonic. Now he is Chief Executive of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. He is one of the nicest and most intelligent people in the musical world.

So all was not lost.