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Double Bass Double Bass Audition Winners

#101
St. Louis had 2 of their 3 hearings for Prelims this past Monday and Tuesday, their final hearing next Tuesday, I think. It was averaging about 40 players a day, and on the particular day I was there, they advanced 4 or 5 people. I'm not sure if they even advanced anyone the following day. So, bottom line is that they are hearing loads of players and advancing a very limited amount proportionately to the amount of applicants auditioning.
Perhaps it would have been a bit more appropriate had they required a tape prior, as many orchestras have done with recent auditions (San Francisco, Ft. Worth, BSO, etc), instead of accepting every single resume that is sent. This would have cut down on 3 days of prelims, along with the cost of sending applicants to all the way to St. Louis.
 
#102
From what I have heard So far about St. Louis is this

Jean Antione from Columbus passed on the first monday as well as Colin Corner and Travis Gore

Also Sam Haggar From USC passed on tuesday.

From Mondays Jeff Kail and this Dan guy who is at Manhattan School passed on also.....If anyone else has heard of anyone else who passed on could you please let me know???
 
#105
So much for St. Louis - this is unbelievably crappy for anyone who was fortunate to advance. Those who had moved through prelims had probably spent the past month working their posteriors off with the hope of winning such a nice job. It's a 4 hour ride from bloomington, and I don't know how far it is far Maryland (I think one of the guys studies with Burris).. probably about 8 hours from columbus.. man, such a bum deal.

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is now on strike. What it does not mention is that the orchestra was LOCKED OUT of holding an audition! An article, titled “Symphony musicians reject offer” (by Sarah Bryan Miller, Post-Dispatch Classical Music Critic) appeared in the St. Louis Post Dispatch yesterday that has not been posted on myauditions, but you guys might find some of the facts very interesting:

“…There was collateral damage in the dispute: Auditions for the orchestra's new utility horn position and for a double bass opening, scheduled for Monday and today, were abruptly canceled. About 25 semifinalists for the horns and 12 for the double basses arrived at Powell Hall at 8 a.m. Monday to learn that they wouldn't be playing after all. Their travel and hotel costs would be reimbursed, Adams said. But, said Gippo, "It's not the money; it's the emotional" aspects; all had spent the holidays practicing, and the time and effort cannot be reimbursed.
 
#114
I believe 4 were in the finals. One of whom (Colin Corner) has in the past year or so won Asst. Principal of Louisiana and Associate of Vancouver. He also is in the semi's for St. Louis when they resume the auditions.

I know that quite a few big guys were sending in their resumes and all that. Thats a tough list to work up while holding down a 52 week season job.
 
#116
It's tough, but doable. I think that the allure of making 120K a year starting certainly helps. Honestly, I think they are looking for someone with experience who can get into the finals so they can hire them. I'd be shocked if they actually hired someone fresh outta college.
 
#117
No one advanced to the finals in Detroit, so no one was hired or given a trial week. From what I've heard, three people started in the semifinals, and one person who I am told played in the DSO section as a sub (?) actually advanced from the prelims. All together I think there were 25 players.

My guess from what I've seen of his postings is that if "allegro con basso" was there, the sheer volume of laughter from behind the screen would have blown his music off of the stand.

There were indeed a few reputable players who already had gigs in 52wk "major" (whatever that means) orchestras.

As for $120k/yr.....I think thats pushing it. Detroits base salary is in the 90's , and there were only 1 or 2 people there with the credentials to command that kind of overscale. Who knows though, negotiating is a seperate skill eh?
 
#118
Colin had been invited to sub with them after winning the Gladstone prize at the ISB competition in 2003. I don't know if anyone else was subbing or not.

I will say this, I know of at least one great player taking that audition who won their last job out of 230 applicants.

Last year Jeff Kail and Ira Gold made the finals and Ira had a trial week. Ben Jensen made semis and is now playing trial weeks in the NAC in Ottawa.
 
#119
Here's The Big List with the latest I can figure:
****************************
-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., University of Wisconsin)
Cleveland Orchestra: Eric Harris (principal St Louis) won, then left for SanFran;
...the runnerup Charles Barr (Curtis), got the job.
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: postponed
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?
Vancouver Symphony, associate: Colin Corner (IU, Louisiana Phil)
Detroit Symphony, Principal: No Hire....
San Antonio Symphony, Asst. Principal: Doug Balliet (Harvard)
Louisville Orchestra, Principal: Burt Witzel (Curtis Institute)
St Louis Symphony: (2 positions) still in progress, 'til May 2005
Winnipeg, Principal: Merideth "Bob" Johnson, I think, was the winner?

-2005
Ottawa: National Arts Center PRINCIPAL: Ben Jensen (I.U.) in trial weeks
Milwaukee Symphony: Principal AND Ass't Principal: No winners announced yet? any word on Travis and Zach?
Detroit Symphony AGAIN: Principal: no finalists?

***Coming Soon: St Louis finishes up; Metropolitan Opera!; Grand Rapids Principal, National Symphony (2 positions)
 

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