audition winners

[Don Higdon]

Technique thread, seven days ago.

[David Kaczorowski]

Hey DURRL, I heard you wuz gonna be rentin' the apartment over your garage out to CAPO. Yooz neighbors now fer real.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally posted by kpo


Sid and the bartender at Rich O's say the Buttheads are still on for this year, badder than ever...

Who's gonna be the replacement Butthead?

[god jr.]

Hello everyone.

I want to congrat Karl on winning the orchestra position.

uh... congratulations, Karl..

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally posted by Chris Fitzgerald


Who's gonna be the replacement Butthead?

Never mind.

[juliu]

Hello, everyone: (KPO, PAUL!!! and many other cool bass lovers!)

I had just bought a bass from KC strings shop. It's a pretty sounding bass, project well and sounds pretty loud, except the neck is really thick for my hand, and there were people with big hands complaint about the neck as well. (I've shown many people the bass...that's the only complaint recurring)

So, I am gonna talk to the owner and see if he thin it down...that's why I am trying to find a cheap way to ship it. If there were shops around Miami, I would have taken it and get it fixed this way.

Please let me know by e-mailing to me at

jufagliu@yahoo.com

[kpo]

Finalists in Oregon Symphony audition, Nov 17th, 2002:
Paul DeNola, Sarah Hogan, Sam Hager, Andy Anderson
(all went to Indiana University; go IU!)
WINNER: Paul DeNola

Finalists in Baltimore Symphony audition, Nov 26th 2002.
Jena Huebner (Columbus Sym), Mark Huang (Nashville Sym), Ranaan Meyer (Curtis Institute student)
WINNER: Mark Huang

[kpo]

Principal Bass, Indianapolis: Ju-Fang Liu

Grant Park Orchestra: Andy Anderson

Principal Bass, Nashville: Joel Reist
Joel was already in the section, so the section position was offered Ryan Kamm

Naples Philharmonic: Matt Medlock

Still coming: New York Phil in June
Louisville Principal Bass in July

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally posted by kpo
Still coming: New York Phil in June
Louisville Principal Bass in July

How about an update on the LO situation? From what I've been hearing through the grapevine, the July audition sounds like one to write in in pencil, although I'd love to be proven wrong. Good luck!

[kpo]

Originally posted by Chris Fitzgerald

How about an update on the LO situation? From what I've been hearing through the grapevine, the July audition sounds like one to write in in pencil, although I'd love to be proven wrong.

Someone else asked on TB; this is some of my reply:


HERE IS A CHART WITH ALL THE USA ORCHESTRA'S WAGES:

http://www.savetheLO.org/wages.htm

The LO's salary is 43% lower than the national average, even though we're the 16th largest US city in the USA.

The Louisville Orchestra's management and the local arts fund have not done their jobs well over the past few years, so they're trying to pin the recent economic problem on the musicians.

visit http://www.savetheLO.org

Our current salary is $33,559 - which is more than I ever made as a "freelancer" in the midwest, but still not
enough to support me and my wife, and all the expensive instruments and school-debts we have. On that "salary", which is poor for a professional orchestral musician, I qualify for and am forced to take an ECONOMIC HARDSHIP DEFERMENT on my school loans!!!

In this full time position, there's no other job besides
teaching that I could do, unless I tried to sell Mary Kay
or worked graveyard shift at Winn Dixie or something.

But a professional orchestra should support its musicians well enough that none of this should be necessary, right? Of course, right.

http://www.savetheLO.org

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally posted by kpo


Someone else asked on TB; this is some of my reply:


HERE IS A CHART WITH ALL THE USA ORCHESTRA'S WAGES:

http://www.savetheLO.org/wages.htm

The LO's salary is 43% lower than the national average, even though we're the 16th largest US city in the USA.

The Louisville Orchestra's management and the local arts fund have not done their jobs well over the past few years, so they're trying to pin the recent economic problem on the musicians.

visit http://www.savetheLO.org

Our current salary is $33,559 - which is more than I ever made as a "freelancer" in the midwest, but still not
enough to support me and my wife, and all the expensive instruments and school-debts we have. On that "salary", which is poor for a professional orchestral musician, I qualify for and am forced to take an ECONOMIC HARDSHIP DEFERMENT on my school loans!!!

In this full time position, there's no other job besides
teaching that I could do, unless I tried to sell Mary Kay
or worked graveyard shift at Winn Dixie or something.

But a professional orchestra should support its musicians well enough that none of this should be necessary, right? Of course, right.

http://www.savetheLO.org

Ouch! I noticed a couple of days ago that my very own mother had a letter to the editor in the Courier about this very topic, but without this much specific information. I'll forward her this page. Good luck.

[TAShepherd]

Hey guys,
I am new here, but have had a great time reading everyone's posts...

So, I study in Boston and recently, I assume it was common knowledge, that the BSO had a section opening recently-

Ben Levy won that gig, congrats for him!

[kpo]

here is the complete round up of all the auditions I've tracked. If you
can add or correct details, please do. These are all auditon sheets and lists
I've collected in my binder since shortly after I first started taking
auditions. Some sheets were missing, some sheets were for auditions I didn't
take, but here's what they add up to:

-1997:
Minnesota Orchestra: no winner
-1998:
Cincinntai Symhpony: Boris Astafiev (Columbus Sym)
Oregon Symphony: Jason Schooler (Cincinnati Conservatory of Music)
Minnesota Orchestra: Matthew Frischman (Curtis Institute)
Utah Symphony, Asst. Principal: Student of principal won
-1999
Los Angeles Philharmonic: David Moore (Houston Sym)
Louisville Orchestra: Kingsley Wood (Peabody Conservatory)
Houston Symphony: Ali Yazdanfar (Peabody, Rice)
New York Philharmonic: David Grossman (Student of principal/Juiliard)
Colorado Symphony: Jonathan Burnstein (Rice U.)
Charleston Symphony, Principal: Charles Barr (Curtis)
National Symphony: Ali Yazdanfar (Houston sym.)
New Mexico Symphony: Kathy Olszowka (Indiana University)
San Antonio Symphony: Zlatan Redzic (I.U.)
-2000
Kansas City Symphony, 1-year spot: Ju-Fang Liu (I.U.)
President's Own Marine Band: Eric Sabo (Arizona State U.)
Seattle Symphony: Jonathan Burnstein (Rice, Colorado Sym.)
Buffalo Philharmonic: Edmond Gnekow (I.U.)
Tulsa Phil, principal: Dan Johnson (Iowa?)
Dallas Symphony, principal: no winner?
Columbus Symphony: Jena Huebner (Peabody)
Houston Symphony: Burke Shaw
Cleveland Orchestra: Charles Carleton (Juilliard/Curtis)
San Francisco Sym., principal: Ali Yazdanfar (not retained?@#$!)
-2001
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra: Kingsley Wood (Peabody, Louisville Orchestra)
Alabama Symphony: Long Luo (Juilliard)
Oregon Symphony: no winner (for 2 spots!)
Florida Philharmonic, principal: Shigeru Ishikawa (member of section )
Louisville Orchestra: Karl Olsen (I.U.)
Cleveland orchestra: Eric Harris (principal St Louis) won, then left for SanFran;
runner up Charles Barr (Curtis) got in.
Montreal Sym., principal: Ali Yazdanfar (now going back to National)
-2002
Charleston Symphony, principal: Scott Pingle (Manhattan)
National Symphony: cancelled; they welcome Ali Yazdanfar back
Baltimore Symphony: Mark Huang (Nashville Symphony)
Oregon Symphony: Paul DeNola (I.U., U.S.C.)
San Francisco Sym., principal: Eric Harris (not retained?!@#!?)
-2003
Indianapolis Sym., principal: Ju-Fang Liu (I.U.)
Boston Symphony: Ben Levy (Rice U., New England Conservatory)
Calgary Philharmonic: Jeff White (I.U.)
Grant Park Orchestra: Andy Anderson (I.U.)
Nashville Symphony, principal: Joel Reist (member of section)
resulting section spot was offered to runner-up, Ryan Kamm (I.U., Boston)
Louisianna Philharmonic: Colin Corner (I.U.)
Naples Philharmonic: Matt Medlock (Boston, Rice)
New York Philharmonic: Satoshi Okamoto (San Antonio, Juilliard; student of principal)
Louisville Orchestra, principal: CANCELLED!@#$!
San Francisco Sym., principal: Hired noone again!@#$??
San Diego, Principal and Asst.Principal: Jeremy Kurtz, principal(Curtis, Rice), Susan Wulff, Asst. (member of section)
-2004:
San Fransisco, Principal, YET AGAIN!:Scott Pingel, on a Trial Year? Ira Gold, runner-up
Detroit Symphony, Principal: They opted not to hire anyone...?!
San Antonio Symphony, Asst. Principal
Louisville Orchestra, Principal: Burt Witner (SP?) (Just happened today, so I need to learn the spelling yet...)

[masterofbass]

Matthew Medlock began his bass studies at age 12 while attending Moorhead Elementary in Indianapolis, IN. Stonybrook Junior High School was his middle school and Warren Central High School was his High School, which is also the alma mater of the "masterofbass" His private teacher, in high school, was Gregory Dugan of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He later attended Boston University where he studied with Edwin Barker. For masters program he attended Rice University and still plays bass like a son of a bitch.

[TAShepherd]

Does anyone know who won the San Francisco job?

[kpo]

I've heard that San Fran didn't hire a principal again; rumors that they're waiting for a particular person. Who knows, though?

[pedro]

Fascinating stuff. I'm wondering kpo, do you see any kinds of trends?

[kpo]

Originally posted by pedro
Fascinating stuff. I'm wondering kpo, do you see any kinds of trends?

Like this... San Fran is holding their 4th consecutive Principal Bass audition (and something like their fifth Principal Horn audition) in Spring 2004!

[pedro]

Thanks.

Which schools and/or teachers seem to be producing the best results in landing students with symphony jobs?

[Danny Adair]

Originally posted by kpo
-2000
Dallas Symphony, principal: no winner?
Cleveland orchestra: Eric Harris (principal St Louis) won, then left for SFS;
runner up Charles Barr (Curtis) got in.

FYI - Per the Dallas S.O. website, Nicolas Tsolainos became principal in 1999.
http://www.dallassymphony.com/?crs=m...estra&mmid=176

I can believe that Charles Barr is in Cleveland - he and I were in the same youth orchestra when I was in high school and the guy was freakin' terrifying. Coincidentally, his dad, Eric, is the principal oboe in the Dallas Symphony - it must run in the family.