Seattle Symphony local tuba sublist audition, May 10th

[Chris Olka]

Hello all,
I will be having local tuba sublist auditions for Seattle Symphony on May 10th. They will be held between approx. 4:30-6:30 PM at Benaroya Hall on the main stage. The rep. list is as follows:
Prokofiev 5, 1st mvmt.
Respighi Fountains of Rome.
Wagner Meistersinger overture, soli section.
Berlioz, Hungarian March.
Mahler Symphony 1, 3rd mvmt solo.

Any interested candidates should send their resumes to the personnel manager via email or fax at seattlesymphony.org
If there any questions please direct them to the PMs. Only qualified candidates should apply.
Thanks in advance.
Chris Olka
Seattle Symphony
cheers623@aol.com

[Chris Olka]

Here is the information for sending resumes.

Send resume to: (e-mail is preferred)
• Scott Wilson, Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager
Seattle Symphony
PO Box 21906
Seattle, WA 98111-3906
• Fax: (206) 215-4701
• E-mail: Audition.Resumes@SeattleSymphony.org
(Please include the words “tuba sublist auditionsâ€

[windshieldbug]

a flood of questions come to mind...
Is this a precident of some sort?

No

Isn't the personnel manager able to go to the local union book for a call list?

Not without knowing if the musicians are qualified

If not the musician's local, doesn't the ensembles tuba player know people in the area to call?

Perhaps, but this is the fairest way to make sure that all of the qualified players are heard and then ranked in call order

[Chris Olka]

Sean,
thanks very much for the reply. You are 100% on all counts. For the record, the Seattle tuba scene is growing steadily and I would just like to have a chance to hear players out there I may not already know about. MANY orchestras have sublist auditions and we are no different. This is the fairest way to give people a chance to get on the list as well as organize the order that phone calls go out.

Good luck to everyone who comes,

Chris Olka
Seattle Symphony

[Chris Olka]

Sorry windshield bug,
I did not pay attention to the avatar and assumed it was Sean who posted the reply. Nevertheless, much appreciated.

Chris Olka
Seattle Symphony

[Mojo workin']

This is the fairest way to give people a chance to get on the list as well as organize the order that phone calls go out.

What a novel idea, giving people other than your pet student or buddy or 'guy who has been around forever' a chance at subbing with a major orchestra! Other orchestras should try this!
But wait, he used that dirty word that should never be used, or thought of, expected, etc because it is so unrealistic.....fairness. Anyone expecting such should be drawn and quartered.

[Chris Olka]

To all interested applicants for the Seattle Symphony local substitute tuba audition:

I would like to take this opportunity to hopefully answer any questions regarding the impending audition. First, this audition is for ranking on the local substitute list. What that means is that if I were to become ill or otherwise unable to make a rehearsal, concert, or other SSO service OR if the SSO schedules a divided orchestra service that needs 2 tubas for 2 different concerts occurring at the same time then the personnel managers will have at their disposal a list of applicants deemed qualified for hiring. This would obviously mean that the most qualified local player would be called in case of an emergency. Also, the SSO frequently schedules community and children’s concerts that have 1 or 2 rehearsals spaced a week or 2 apart with concerts spaced sporadically throughout the month. In other words, these concerts may entail 2 to 4 services spaced as far as 3 weeks apart.

Now, for those of you living outside of the greater Seattle area that are interested in auditioning, bear in mind that this audition is for that main purpose and it would not make sense to hire a player from out of town to fill these services. Logistically it would be a nightmare for the player and SSO to try and make these few services work unless they lived 2-3 hours away. Please keep this in mind before sending a resume and spending a considerable amount of money to take this audition.

Finally, having said all of that, I am always interested in hearing good players so that on the rare occasion that the SSO has a 2-tuba concert I know what the available list of players I can call is. The audition time is only 2 hours long and WILL NOT BE SCREENED. This is for many reasons not the least of which is the busy SSO schedule (the audition is between 2 Pops concerts), and the constraints of the stage crew. I will not be announcing a WINNER. I will be providing written comments to the candidates and possibly be available AFTER the evening’s Pops concert for a short time. Also, the order of ranking will be confidential and NOT shared with anyone other than the Personnel Managers and Music Director.

I hope that this clears up any confusion anyone may have and am looking forward to hearing some great tuba playing.

Best wishes,
Chris Olka
Seattle Symphony
Seattle Opera