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Double Bass Double Bass Audition Winners

#265
O.k. I've been thinking... Is it at all possible that the previous audition panels for Detroit have intentionally avoided picking a winner because given the nature of the job (principal), the panel wanted to wait to pick a new music director first and get his/her input? It makes sense when you consider that they have known about the music director thing for at least the past 3 years if not much longer. Could this panel, given that there is a music director in place, have the power to actually choose a winner?

If you can agree with that, then it is all too ironic that Slatkin (Detroit's new pick) chose Ira Gold to play with National shortly after Detroit took a pass.
 
#267
I'm sure this is not the reason why they don't take anyone but there is an extra incentive for them not to hire a principal. It's cheaper. I believe the union requires the orchestra to hold an audition every year until the position is filled but if the position is never filled, they don't have to pay a principal's salary.
 
#268
ispider6 said:
I'm sure this is not the reason why they don't take anyone but there is an extra incentive for them not to hire a principal. It's cheaper. I believe the union requires the orchestra to hold an audition every year until the position is filled but if the position is never filled, they don't have to pay a principal's salary.
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Perhaps, but auditions are themselves expensive and time-consuming. They would need to be very strapped for cash for this to be a reasonable possibility.
 
#269
Well, if I remember correctly in the story I read about the trombone player, the reason most thought they didn't do it is because most thought the acting principal would never win the audition to become principal, and they didn't want to name a principal ahead of him. I could be remembering the wrong symphony ago. This was an article I read several years ago.
 
#270
Management doesn't really have any say in the audition process. The audition committee's are made up of musicians from the orchestra and decisions are made with votes. Unless you count the conductor as management, it's only artistic personnel listening to canidates. I'd bet the bass section and members of the Detroit Symphony want a new principal bass. Maybe there are different ideas as to what kind of player should fill that post? I have no idea.
 
#271
NWBass said:
Management doesn't really have any say in the audition process. The audition committee's are made up of musicians from the orchestra and decisions are made with votes. Unless you count the conductor as management, it's only artistic personnel listening to canidates. I'd bet the bass section and members of the Detroit Symphony want a new principal bass. Maybe there are different ideas as to what kind of player should fill that post? I have no idea.
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That's a good point. However, there have been instances where a candidate is chosen by the committee but does not make it past the probationary period. Is it still the audition committee who determines whether they stay or is it a combination of musicians and management?
 
#272
PaulCannon said:
Perhaps, but auditions are themselves expensive and time-consuming. They would need to be very strapped for cash for this to be a reasonable possibility.
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Since when is any orchestra not strapped for cash? ;)

Time-consuming, yes, but how expensive can they be unless they are flying the candidates in?

Don't get me wrong; I still think my theory is far-fetched but wanted to think it through nonetheless.
 
#273
In all instances I know of, the probationary committee is made up of musicians from the orchestra, and mostly by members of the section in question. In some orchestras, the probationary committee is just the entire section of probatioary player's instrument. The personnel manager or assistant might sit in on the meetings, but just for taking notes or something like that. And auditions are expensive because they have to pay the committee a bunch of money plus (in most cases) pay to rent the hall and staff it. Not to mention feeding everyone. Is it more expensive than a year's salary? No. But I seriously doubt that any orchestra committee would agree to listen to all those auditions with the intent of not hiring anyone. I'm sure they'd LOVE to find the right person.
 
#277
ispider6 said:
I'm sure this is not the reason why they don't take anyone but there is an extra incentive for them not to hire a principal. It's cheaper. I believe the union requires the orchestra to hold an audition every year until the position is filled but if the position is never filled, they don't have to pay a principal's salary.
Click to expand...

It happens occasionally that management will save money by not filling spots, but that's a negotiated "cost savings" measure (read: "product-cheapening" measure) achieved during full-scale contract negotiations (never done by holding false auditions, at least from the management's perspective).
The members of the specific audition committee, not management, are responsible for selecting (or NOT selecting) a winner, for whatever reason, so you can look to the committee for answers here.
** Audition committees are: artistic personnel (section members and other related sections) plus the music director. Observed by Union steward.
** Probationary committees include members of the original audition committee, music director and personnel manager. Observed by Union steward.
 

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