It's increasingly clear that, along with Roberto Abbado, the leading candidate to succeed Wolfgang Sawallisch is the 42 year old, California-born, Royal Academy-trained David Robertson, who has been based in Paris most of his professional career. Both candidates had already been announced as substitutes for this spring, and yesterday Carnegie Hall announced that these two will lead the Philadelphians there next year; Robertson will appear with this ensemble there this March. Robertson was recently named "Conductor of the Year" my Musical American magazine, which described him as "the genuine article". It is a very startling, but exciting turn of events. Robin Mitchell-Boyask Temple University Philadelphia, PA