Author: pliscapoivre
Date: 2011-10-10 08:09
Hi all,
I did all of my training and started my career in the US. I've been in Berlin for one year now, and have made a lot of changes. However, my personal sound remains more or less the same -- I think it's like the old me, but better...
My sound has been complimented here, and I feel accepted as a soloist/chamber musician, but I haven't taken any orchestra auditions. Despite having a DMA and years of experience both as an oboe professor and a principal orchestra player, about half of the orchestras for which I've applied to audition have rejected my resume. (I've decided not to pursue this route anyway, but when I first arrived I wanted to try to get a position.)
I know that there are people playing American-style reeds who are doing very well indeed in the Establishment -- not many, but I think things are opening up. One example is Washington Barella. I've found him to be very approachable and open, so perhaps she'd like to contact him.
Oboesax, I'd recommend that your daughter talk to as many people as she can on both sides of the pond and consider three main things for now:
1. Her personal sound and reed style and what sort of sound appeals to her naturally -- so going to a lot of concerts in the US and Europe and really getting a feel for the sound concept.
2. Thinking about individual teachers for herself -- who would be a good match? Who will help her develop best without restrictions? Often the #1 factor in choosing a conservatory is the private teacher. A lesson with a few key people would be a great idea.
3. Does she want to play in a professional orchestra as an adult? She may not know at 16 (and if she doesn't, good for her!!!). But if she imagines a solo/chamber career, then the choice of country is more about lifestyle, because things will be more open to her. Of course it's harder to get a position in a university/conservatory as a foreigner, too.
It would be great if, eventually, she could take a BM in the US and go to grad school in Europe. Then she'd be well-versed in more than one style and have the credentials to take auditions everywhere. I can also tell you that Hochschule teachers, at least in Germany (and I think Switzerland is the same), are hired because they're well-known players, not necessarily dedicated and gifted teachers. Of course the trend is going this way in the US too as universities (esp. in large cities) attempt to cut budgets by not hiring full-time performance faculty -- but not at the best schools. Your daughter *might* end up getting better guidance as an undergrad in the US. Of course, this is a generalization about the educational system and is not meant as commentary about any particular teachers.
Hopefully, by the time your daughter enters the profession, things will have opened up a bit more, but I would say that in general things are getting better, not worse, in terms of acceptance of sounds from different places. In any case, there's another side to the whole issue -- I'm not sure that globalization is entirely good in orchestra playing. The Berlin Philharmonic and the Staatskapelle, Berlin's two greatest orchestras, sure don't sound alike. They, along with (for example) Vienna, have retained an impressive amount of their special sound, despite having many foreigners in their ranks. So it's not that they're bigoted in such orchestras, just that they have a respect for what has historically been their individual sound. In a sense, I think it would be too bad if orchestras everywhere came to sound the same. The regional differences help to keep us from becoming generic.
I hope these musings are of some help.
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