An Audition Summary - Blair Bollinger

[WoodSheddin]

Mr. Chisham,

Below is a summary of our recent audition. You have my permission to post this on your TUBENET Bulletin Board. Any other use requires additional written permission. As we have not yet hired a new tubist for the Philadelphia Orchestra, these are all the details that I can share. There is nothing else I can disclose at this point.

Thank you again for your cooperation last week. I hope this summary is of help and interest to your subscribers.

Best,
Blair Bollinger


Philadelphia Orchestra
Tuba Audition
March 2005

An Audition Summary

copyright 2005
by Blair Bollinger
Bass Trombone
The Philadelphia Orchestra

In September 2004, Paul Krzywicki announced that he would retire in May 2005; completing a wonderful 33 year tenure as Principal Tuba of the Philadelphia Orchestra. His eloquent musicianship and hearty laugh will be greatly missed.

Audition plans were put on hold until the Musicians of the Orchestra and the Management concluded ongoing labor negotiations. When those negotiations were successfully completed in late November 2004, audition preparations began. The Personnel Office published advertisements and the Audition Committee prepared a repertoire list. The Audition Committee outlined a plan for the complete audition, specifying the individual passages to be heard. Great emphasis was placed on standard repertoire. Lists from recent and other current tuba auditions were consulted. The Personnel Office coordinated the schedules of Music Director Christoph Eschenbach, the Audition Committee and the concert hall and scheduled auditions for mid-March 2005.

More than 180 applications were received for the position. The Audition Committee reviewed the resumes and invited approximately 60 of those to attend the audition. Decisions were made strictly on the basis of musical experience; there was no number quota of any kind. The remaining 120+ applicants were discouraged from coming to Philadelphia to audition. Those who were discouraged were informed that they could reapply with letters of recommendation if they strongly believed they were a serious candidate for the position. Several players did reapply and most of them were invited. Also, several applicants who already held significant positions were invited directly to the Semi-Final Round. The Repertoire List was published and dates announced.

Preliminary Auditions were held on March 10 and March 12, 2005 in Verizon Hall in Philadelphia. All auditions were played behind a screen. The schedule was constructed allowing for an average of 6 auditions per hour. 17 players were scheduled for March 10 and 36 players were scheduled for March 12 to make 53 players auditioned during the two days; 11 were advanced to the Semi-Finals. As detailed in the Philadelphia Orchestra contract, the audition committee for this opening consisted of the trombone section, two other brass players, two basses, two woodwinds (including contrabassoon), and tympani. The Music Director joined the committee for the Final Auditions.

Semi-Final Auditions were held on March 14. Five players who accepted the invitation to Semi-Finals did attend and made a total of 16 Semi-Final auditions. All auditions were played behind a screen. The schedule was constructed allowing for an average of 3 auditions per hour. Each candidate played a concerto movement with piano accompaniment and several excerpts. 4 players were selected to play in the Finals.

Final Auditions were held March 18. The four finalists were informed of the repertoire for the final rounds in advance. The schedule was constructed allowing for an average of 2 auditions per hour. The Philadelphia Orchestra divides the Final Round into two parts. Part One is behind a screen; each candidate played a concerto movement with piano accompaniment and several excerpts. Two candidates were selected to play with the trombone section in Part Two of the Finals. They were:

Alessandro Fossi
Teatro San Carlo
Naples, Italy

Craig Sutherland
Rochester, NY Philharmonic

The screen was removed and both Mr. Fossi and Mr. Sutherland played several orchestral passages with the trombone section and two passages with only the bass trombone. Both also played a few more excerpts
alone.

As these two players were the only ones to play without a screen, they will be the only names mentioned in this summary. It will be left to the other candidates whether or not to identify their participation.

Following lengthy deliberations, the Audition Committee and the Music Director decided not to offer the position to anyone at that time. While each candidate played many things superbly, no candidate convinced the committee that he was the right player for the position. This decision was sadly, but unanimously agreed upon by the Audition Committee and the Music Director.

Future plans will be forthcoming.

[CJ Krause]

***

[WoodSheddin]

It is amazing that this is more and more commonplace and a shame.

Truly disappointing.
They should reimburse all that tried out there at least for some part of their expenses.

How did you feel the candidates played?

[UDELBR]

I sympathize with the candidates who tried and failed, but there are always 'pretty good, but not good enough' candidates for every job both in and out of the music business.

Not good enough? Let's be realistic for just a moment: are you seriously asserting that the candidates that participated in this audition simply couldn't compare to the regular players in Philly? That they're not on the same level?? While I wasn't present at the audition, that seems like an absurd thing to say, knowing the level of players who were present.

They should reimburse all that tried out there at least for some part of their expenses.

I'd go along with that. Seeing that playing orchestral tuba auditions is possibly the world's most expensive hobby, it seems only fair the committee should consider recompensing a portion of the expenses, if they're assuming that good players are gonna be willing to come back again.

[kontrabass]

So, in other words - an orchestra should not expect good players to come and audition unless they don't have to pay. After all, we practice long hours for our 'hobby' and we DESERVE to make money!


Wake up and smell the coffee, folks. This is not a hobby, and it is not a job - this is ART. I'm too young and too early on in my career to be winning auditions like these, but I would sacrifice EVERYTHING in my life to make music on the kind of level that it's made in the Philadelphia Orchestra. (In fact, I probably will). If I believed I was good enough to win Philadelphia, you'd better believe I'd pay the cash to fly back again next year. And you'd better believe I'd spend every ounce of energy trying to fix whatever caused me to lose this time around.

If you want a job that pays well, that will pay your expenses on the interview, that will always treat you like the superstar you are, that will give you the best possible quality of life - be a lawyer, or a doctor. You'll never be happy as a tuba player unless you surrender yourself completely to music.

[UDELBR]

So, in other words - an orchestra should not expect good players to come and audition unless they don't have to pay.

Please reread post.

You'll never be happy as a tuba player unless you surrender yourself completely to music.

Heh. Apparently in your book, that includes a vow of poverty and allowing folks to wipe their feet on you. Yoiks.

[Tubaryan12]

I'll ask again: does this process ever become like football teams trying to hire a coach? What happens if at the next audition they like the players that come to tryout #2 even less than they like the ones that came to tryout #1? What if the finallist fron tryout #1 are hired for other jobs they like better? Then what? Do they settle for the 3rd placed player or do they use temps until they get "the right person"? Maybe it's like the military and there is a "stop loss" program for Philly.You can't retire until a replacement is found.

[WoodSheddin]

I'd go along with that. Seeing that playing orchestral tuba auditions is possibly the world's most expensive hobby, it seems only fair the committee should consider recompensing a portion of the expenses, if they're assuming that good players are gonna be willing to come back again.

And paying the finalists expenses could be ofset by demanding payment from those who came unprepared and wasted the committees time and money, especially any who showed up uninvited. This solution makes no sense.

I will agree that there was a lot of talent which was at the audition or the committee would have elimited EVERYONE after just 1 round of listening to them. What happened was after everyone played there was no obvious winner who stood out as being truly exceptional on that day. The committee either was certain they did not want to hire who was left or they were uncertain. Either way is not the outcome they desired.

I hate it when auditions choose noone also. I have taken a few where no winner was chosen and many times felt it was a wasted effort on all parties involved. I have also witnessed auditions where someone was chosen when they should have instead held another audition hoping for stronger candidates. Whether this time was due to being fickle or because the finalists had brain farts we may never know for certain. What I DO know is this is an opportunity for someone to step up to the plate again and this time hit the homerun instead of triple.

[Matt G]

What did the outgoing player have that all auditioners lacked?

40+ years of playing experience.

However, I am willing to bet that many of them were on par with the ability to play the job.

I believe that the ability to get some names and invite them back and have them play in the band during some concerts is where a lot of these committees have headed. This way they get to preview a candidate before settling on a choice after a couple of hours of playing.

Getting a job in any other "industry" would be similar:

I want ____ job.

Well, we have X applicants with varying degrees of education and experience.

Ok.

What are you looking for?

Someone who has shown repetitive success in the field.

I have x years of experience in college as a part-time employee and have done several internships.

We are looking for people with proven track records within the industry. Preferably with Fortune 500 companies.

I have some experience with some smaller privately held firms.

We'll take that into consideration.

What are my chances?

Well, we really have our eyes on someone from a competitive firm. Moreover, we are looking to move someone laterally with little training requirements. While your resume is impressive, you lack the proven track record to perform in a day to day situation with our firm.

Simply put, as Bloke has stated, Philly wants someone who has a good bit of professional experience, as well as great player, and who will fit right in. That is a lot of pressure to put on both the applicants and the committee.

However, I have a hard time finding that many players who have all of the right credentials willing to leave a good position in an area where they are set up and potentially have family, just to play with a group that is a little better (potentially) then who they play with currently. It would take far more than what Philly is offering, money-wise, to move most folks who are comfortably set up. In all reality, the money Philly is paying is not all that big. There are car salesmen who make more money than that Philly salary and work just about as many hours (30) and have most weekends off and less pressure to perform...

Maybe the audition system needs some reform. If groups want to be able to evaluate players in playing situations, then that is no problem with me. Kind of like spring training. Bring in a few different players, the best you can find, and give them some game time. The ones who show the best promise move on to the big leagues. The ones who don't go back to the minors work on their skills unitl the next opening comes up and they can audition for that roster spot.

Hey, baseball pays more and is probaly just about as much work per week (4-5 games 3 hours/game plus 2-3 hours of practice before= 20-30 hours for 8 months a year). Your odds of playing in the MLB are better, too. Hey tuba players, drop your axe and pick up a bat!

[Tubaryan12]

And paying the finalists expenses could be ofset by demanding payment from those who came unprepared and wasted the committees time and money, especially any who showed up uninvited. This solution makes no sense.

I agree with this somewhat. Uninvited persons should not be allowed to audition at all (I hear they are looking for a new C.E.O. at Company X....I think I'll show up and demand an interview) but those that are invited to a second audition at a later date should have their expenses paid. I know these are great jobs, but the tuba player that is invited back has something to offer the organization as well.

[WoodSheddin]

And paying the finalists expenses could be ofset by demanding payment from those who came unprepared and wasted the committees time and money, especially any who showed up uninvited. This solution makes no sense.

I agree with this somewhat. Uninvited persons should not be allowed to audition at all (I hear they are looking for a new C.E.O. at Company X....I think I'll show up and demand an interview) but those that are invited to a second audition at a later date should have their expenses paid. I know these are great jobs, but the tuba player that is invited back has something to offer the organization as well.

Nope. Paying for job interviews is part of the expense of getting a job. These expenses are tax deductable BTW.

There is ONE job that I know of which pays for your audition expenses though ............
viewtopic.php?t=4084
Tapes due April 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tubaryan12]

There is ONE job that I know of which pays for your audition expenses though ............
viewtopic.php?t=4084

If its good enough for the military then it should be good enough for anyone else I'm not even asking for the first audition to be paid...just call backs on later dates. Tax deductions may be one thing, but the immediate financial burden is another.

[WoodSheddin]

I'm not even asking for the first audition to be paid...just call backs on later dates.

Perhaps those coming back AGAIN at later dates should be required to pay a substantial fee to the committee to listen to them again after the committee has already decided that they don't want to hire them after the first audition.

Of course I don't believe that either, but the point is that job interviews in far off lands cost EVERYONE involved money, not just the auditionees.

The system ain't perfect, but neither were any of the candidates this time around.

[Tubaryan12]

The system ain't perfect, but neither were any of the candidates this time around.

True...but i'll laugh my a** off if they hire someone from the 1st audition

[kontrabass]

True...but i'll laugh my a** off if they hire someone from the 1st audition

Actually I think it's quite possible...we know that several/many of the players at Philly are outstanding players and capable of doing the job - perhaps someone had an 'off day' but is able to fix whatever tripped him up over the next year. All it takes if for the committee to say 'THIS is what we were hoping to hear last year'.

[joebob]

Some orchestras pay travel expenses for those who advance and have to return for the final round. I believe Boston has done this in the past.

As far as someone who was at this 1st Philly audition getting hired at a later time by Philly - that is entirely possible. It has certainly happened in the past with major orchestras who've had multiple auditions for the same position(tuba and other instruments as well). There are many variables that can change between auditions. After the committee has heard players in all the rounds in the first audition and found that they didn't like the players they advanced(at least didn't like them enough), they might have a different perspective on what they want as they listen at the next audition and they might advance players with different qualities. Also - the makeup of the committee could change; for example - according to Mr. Bollinger's post, two brass players other than the trombone section have to be on the committee, as well as two bass players and two woodwinds. If the orchestra elects a new committee for the next audition or some committee members choose not to serve again, the committee makeup could be different. Having different sets of ears listening to an audition could certainly change things. Last but not least, the way the players play could change - individual players could play better or worse on a given day. Players might decide to use different equipment. The excerpts the committee asks for might change. With so many variables, it's entirely possible that the committee could hear all the same candidates at the next audition and hire someone who didn't cut it at the 1st audition.

All this rambling is assuming that Philly has another audition like the 1st audition. It's possible that their orchestra contract provides for different processes of hiring players such as only bringing in a select few to play with the orchestra. We'll just have to wait and see........

[Mark E. Chachich]

In defence of the Philidelphia Orchestra, it is a top of the line organization. I think that people that have never been in an organazation such as this do not understand what is required. I am with the NIH (in biomedical research we are at the top with very few other institutions) and although I am not one of the NIH "big guys", I am here as a scientist. I have seen positions not filled for some time. We wait and get what we need. I have also heard people from the outside complain, that does not really matter.

Point: very few people can achive this level. In my opinion Phildelphia was not being unfair, they were excercising their right to be very selective and assure, as best they can, that their orchestra will continue to be at the highest level.

Point: no one forced the applicants to audition and the orchestra did not agree to pay anyone for auditioning.

Think carefully before chosing your "profession", understand what you need to do, let others that are established in the profession judge you and work hard (very hard). Also, understand that those in positions in top level organizations have most likely sacrificed more then you can imagine.

Mark

[UDELBR]

the orchestra did not agree to pay anyone for auditioning.

No one said they did. Several of us were simply musing over how it could / should happen, if they really cared about fairness and remaining attractive to the most eligible candidates.

Wheredja get that from anyway??

[windshieldbug]

I can add a couple of cents from my viewpoint, even if it was just a regional orchestra, and not one of the "bigs"...

If they thought that anyone was close, they have a couple of options. One, in every contract I've seen (and I was head of the player's committee and negotiated three of ours) there is a waiting period, typically a year, before a player becomes tenured, so that is NOT even an issue here. The idea of not being able to fire someone only even happens down the road if the person works out. Two, if it was close, they certainly could have had a finalist play a series to see how they "perform" under concert conditions with various sections. We even did this for our "minor" job.

I was not at the Philly audition, so I don't know specifics, nor have I heard from friends, but to assume that because you can play the part is not good enough. That is assumed going in. Even though I was always amazed at the people who showed up, hoping that they could string together enough good excerpts and not making it. Or people having a bad day. Yes, everyone has bad days, but the person that you are looking for can already play the part held down by terrorists and fighting off a sumo wrestler. You owe that to the paying customers. You are looking for concept of sound, ensemble, intonation, and things like instinctive interpretation. Experience, because you will be playing really tough stuff, sometimes at sight, so concept of where your part fits in the fabric is a must. Added to that, the ability to change all of that on a dime at the whim of a conductor.

Yes, it's a tough business with dwindling revenues. And yes, people have taken major orchestra jobs and then gone back to their previous ones on their own accord. It is not comparable to many other situations, but it is what it is. The situation of not meeting the requirements does not mean you have to change the requirements. Just be ready for them.