Question about orchestra challenges

WorkinOnIt · #1 10-07-2008, 03:44 PM

Howdy. First thread.

I normally lurk in the BG section, but wanted to pose this question to the DB folks. My wife and I just started going to the Houston Symphony. Got the full 2008-09 season and so far we are loving it.

I was wondering about the seating arrangements of the musicians in the orchestra. Back in my school band days you start the year off with an audition. The band director sat behind a blind and heard everyone play a prepared piece and a piece for sightreading. This was the way of assigning chairs to everyone to start the year off. If you were unhappy with your chair assignment, you could 'challenge' the higher chairs to another audition throughout the school year. Lots of folks did not care so much about this, but more competitive types were into that and challenging folks all the time.

1.) I am assuming the principal and 'endowed' chairs like the first 4 or 5 violins are set in stone and awarded to individuals and the 'chair' is not really up for grabs. This sound right?

2.) Do orchestra members 'challenge' one another throughout the year, or is this something that does not happen in professional orchestras. Perhaps this varies from orchestra to orchestra.

I tried searching out this information on TB, but did not have any luck, so I started this thread. Just curious. Thanks for your time.

Low8va · #2 10-08-2008, 10:19 AM

First off, I am glad to hear that you are enjoying your experience listening to a great orchestra. As an orchestra musician myself, we take great pride in what we do and it is great when listeners take more than a passing interest in what is going on onstage.

In regards to challenging for a different chair, things work a bit differently at the professional level. Titled chairs (principal, asst. principal, etc.) are typically fixed. In our orchestra the section players do rotate, meaning that you play with a different stand partner from week to week (for the string sections). This is a fairly common practice that most, but not all, orchestras use.

One can only move into a title chair if one becomes permanently vacant as a result of a retirement or a player leaving for a different orchestra. In that case an audition is held and current section players and other players from outside the orchestra can compete for the job. So a player who believes they are better suited for a position than the current holder of that position can't "challenge" for that chair. For better or worse, this practice does promote consistency and a level of expectation. There can only be one section leader at a time to make the appropriate decisions (bowings, dynamic markings, etc.). One can only hope that the person in the principal chair is a strong leader, respects his or her section, and is a very strong player. I hope that helps.

WorkinOnIt · #3 10-08-2008, 12:10 PM

Thanks for your reply!

Now that you mention it, it does appear some type of rotation is happening within a 'row'. Seems within the first violins just behind the titled chairs switch around among themselves and the next row switches around, but I never see the second row sitting in the third row and vice-versa.

Anyway... this was something I was really curious about and I appreciate your reponse.