"It would be unfair to say that at this point we only have two conductors and one of them will get the title of assistant conductor," he said. "What's fair to say is that we're gong through a process that will allow us to broaden our relationships and introduce new people to the orchestra."
The season could end with one, both, or neither of them getting a title, or with the orchestra's assistant-conductor responsibilities being parceled out in some other way, Rothman said.
Milanov started as assistant conductor in 2000. His workload soon increased and he took on the "associate conductor" title, leading holiday and neighborhood concerts and becoming artistic director of the orchestra's Mann Center season.
The orchestra is not seeking to replace him with another associate conductor at this point, says Rothman. Rather, it is generally expanding the roster of guest conductors with an eye toward the future.
"When you get locked into a couple of staff conductors, you see them a lot of the time; so naturally you don't see a lot of other people.
"I'm really trying to identify people's strengths and assets and bring them in at the right time," Rothman said.
The conductor decision dovetails with the organization-wide strategic-planning process, now under way, that will help determine the orchestra's new business plan and artistic direction.
Music director-designate Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes his full title in two years, with the start of the 2012-13 season, and it's possible he will want to take a mentoring role with the assistant conductors or conduct some of the family and neighborhood concerts himself.
