Double Bass Double Bass Audition Winners

[ToughySinclair]

Don't know why I feel compelled to makes this correction, but Dan Krekeler grew up in MN and studied with Peter in high school. Then to IU for BM, Yale for MM, MSM for the Master's in Orchestral Performance. There studied with Tim Cobb and outside of school with Leigh Mesh. Rock on, Dan!!!!

Also, don't know what made me type this, but I went to school with Dan and this is correct. High school was with Peter, IU for BM with Hurst, Yale for MM with Don Palma, and then studied with Leigh for a few years before going to MSM in the Orch. Perf. program with Cobb and Leigh at the same time. Thanks for reading!

 

[topbassman]

"Dan Krekeler grew up in MN and studied with Peter in high school"

Just curious----who is this "Peter"?

 

[B. Johnson]

Peter Llyod, principal bassist of Minnesota

 

[Prescottissimo]

I think many winners aren't on the list although my memory fails me at this very moment.
For example, the gentleman in Nashville, Reist, won his job in the section sometime not so long before he won principal and he went to school at Carnegie Mellon. He would have won the section job sometime after 1996.
David A. Moore and Ali Y. (Peabody) won HSO 1996 and Ali then won NSO in 1997.
In 1999 HSO audition, Bostonians Donald Howie and Erica Larsson won.
Oh yes, it's all coming back now! Charles _________ (?) Boston, won Cleveland sometime in 2000/2001, then Charles Barrs, Minnesota, won after Eric Harris chose to off Cleveland for SFS a little while later. My apologies for not having exact Cleveland dates.

 

[ehdbl1]

Ooh I love it when I see my name on Talkbass. Makes me feel like somebody. Actually I didn't "off" Cleveland in '02. After winning the audition (God knows why) I was given a signed contract. When they found out I was taking the SF principal audition they "fired me for cause". I have both letters framed in my studio (a great source of pride). As it turns out my double-or-nothing gamble paid nothing. Oh well, all's fair in love and the audition circuit. My advice, don't focus on winning, focus on being the best artist you can be. Try to give them what they want (if you can figure that out) but stay true to who you are. Sometimes it's the "right" player not necessarily the best player that gets the job. EH

 

[JGGBassPlya]

Oh yes, it's all coming back now! Charles _________ (?) Boston, won Cleveland sometime in 2000/2001

Charles Carlton.....and to correct some info he went to Juilliard and boston university. But he is in cleveland now so who care anyways

 

[kpo]

I think many winners aren't on the list although my memory fails me at this very moment.
For example, the gentleman in Nashville, Reist, won his job in the section sometime not so long before he won principal and he went to school at Carnegie Mellon. He would have won the section job sometime after 1996.... blah, blah, blah!

Yo, Oiy!
I've been keeping track only since I started taking auditions, as indicated at the start of the thread. That would be starting after the ones you mention.
I tried to mention the Cleveland stuff in as neutral terms as possible. I also had a curious experience with them at the audition date in question....

 

[kpo]

I'm told that a contract has been offered to Ira Gold, lone winner of the recent National Sym. audition.

Congratulations, Ira!

The Winners List has been updated ( last one is on p.7 of this thread).

The committee decided to not fill the other position; personnel mgr. said they'd fill the spot for a year with subs. Incidentally, one of their long time subs and locals made it to the finals, so they're "pretty well stocked" out there, I guess.

 

[G-force]

Thanks KPO for your patience and diligence in updating our community. BTW do you know who the other finalists by name were?
Take care
G

 

[kpo]

BTW do you know who the other finalists by name were?
G

I'm told...

Ira Gold (Rice?), Andrew Stalker (Rice/BU), Colin Chatfield (Eastman/Maryland?), and Mark Huang (Baltimore Symphony) were the finalists.

 

[Justin K-ski]

Is this thread only tracking US orchestras? If not in 2003 Marco Destlere (Juilliard) won San Paulo in Brazil.

 

[kpo]

I
Guess I've only been following ICSOM Orchestras; full time orchestras in USA and Canada, and including some of the service bands that I hear about. Occasional mention of a ROPA (Regional) Orchestra.

 

[Don Higdon]

For example, the gentleman in Nashville, Reist, won his job in the section sometime not so long before he won principal.

Joel Reist won the audition for principal playing a bass hand-carved by Arnold Schnitzer.

 

[kpo]

About the MEt Opera Audition:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[B. Johnson]

A big congrats to Tom Mcgary, winner of the position in the the calgary philharmonic last week. Score one more for IU!

 

[prelims222]

Thanks for the update, man. Good to know Tom won one after all those auditions.

 

[a. meyer]

Correction: Tom won two. He also won Kitchener.

 

[B. Johnson]

Oh awesome, thanks man, i hadn't heard that yet. Way to go tom, he's on a winning streak!

 

[BigLowEnd]

Congratulations to Aaron White who won the section bass audition with the Florida Orchestra. James Goode was the runner-up.

 

[kpo]

November, 2005 Update:
****************************
-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., U-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, USC)

-2004:
San Fransisco, Principal, YET AGAIN!:Scott Pingel, on a Trial Year? Ira Gold, runner-up?
Chicago Lyric Opera: Andy Anderson (I.U., Grant Park)
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) audition delayed finished until May 2005
Winnipeg, Principal: Merideth "Bob" Johnson, I think, was the winner?

-2005
Ottawa: National Arts Center, Principal: Ben Jensen (I.U.) playing trial weeks
Milwaukee Symphony: Principal AND Ass't Principal: Travis Gore and Zach_ playing trial weeks in June....
Detroit Symphony AGAIN: Principal: not even any finalists?
St Louis, 2 positions: Sarah Hogan (IU, Rice, SLSO 1-yr sub!) and Dave DeRiso (Rice, New World, SLSO sub-runner-up!)
Grand Rapids, Principal: Joe Conyers (Curtis)
Alabama: no winner??
Metropolitan Opera Association: Dan Krekler (IU, Minn., MSM)
Seattle: Joe Kauffman (UNT)
National Symphony, 2 positions: Ira Gold! ...other position remains open
Calgary Philharmonic: Tom McGary (IU)
Florida Orchestra: Aaron White (SMU, Duquesne)also 1 yr. Asst.Principal here in Louisville!

COMING SOON:
Detroit: Principal (again, again.)
Minnesota: Assoc. Prin. -and- Section
Milwaukee: Principal (again!)
Buffalo: Principal
National Symphony: section (again)
more...?