Klarinet Archive - Posting 001082.txt from 1998/04

From: Mitch Bassman <mbassman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: National Symphony 2nd Clarinet Job
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 13:07:11 -0400

At 04:37 PM 4/17/98 -0400, David B. Niethamer wrote:
>In an ideal world, we'd have two or three candidates spend a
>month in the orchestra before we decided who worked out the best, and
>then that person would have a year's "probation" before becoming
>permanent. Few orchestras have that luxury.

This strategy may actually save money, David.

This is very close to what the Columbus Symphony is doing to fill its
current Principal Timpanist opening. After the "finals" a year ago, they
selected 5 or 6 of those remaining and asked them each to play three weeks
in the 1997-98 subscription season. Yes, to follow an earlier train of
thought, that means that each of those musicians had to travel to Columbus,
Ohio, for the auditions and then three more times (they were not
consecutive weeks) during this season.

As I said, the orchestra may, in fact, be saving money with this "luxury."
A reliable source told me that they are being paid as extras and have to
pay their own travel and living expenses with that weekly pay. (Let me
hasten to add that I see this as completely reasonable and good business.)
This means that the orchestra is saving the difference between (1) the
scale for an extra musician for the subscription concerts only and (2) the
salary plus benefits of a principal player. (For the non-subscription
concerts, the Assistant Prin. Timp. is playing.) This seems to be an
excellent strategy for an orchestra with financial constraints. Also, in
the case of the timpanist, where the ability to blend is critical, it gives
the music director and the committee members a chance to hear the applicant
play in the context of the orchestra rather than only in the solo context
at an audition. The CSO will announce the winner in June. He or she will
then begin the usual year's "probation" at the beginning of the next season.

Mitch Bassman
Burke, Virginia, USA
mbassman@-----.com