The whole issue of tenue and the tenure review committee is something that many auditioning musicians never think about. It's not something that typically exists in the rest of the working world (ourside of higher education). Younger musicians and students may not even know what tenure is let alone that the major US orchestras all have a tenue system in place.
I thought that article was interesting because it touched on both sides of the issue: getting the job in the first place (or not getting it in this case) and keeping the job (or not keeping it in this case). As was noted, keeping the job isn't a given even if you were the audition "winner."
In the orchestra I work with, the probationary period is two seasons. A musician is not offered a third season until the musician meets with the tenure review committee and Music Director at the end of the first season and is given written feedback and then again at the end of the second season. Following both of those meetings the musician will either be granted tenue or be dismissed.
Yes, musicians do sometimes get denied tenue even after two years of service. It can happen for any number of reasons.
I also want to address the issue of musicians being "appointed," as was mentioned back on page one. They cannot completely circumvent the audition process, but yes, musicians can still be appointed, though it's not exactly instant and (of course!) there is a procedure that has to be followed that is generally standard among the large US orchestras that goes like this:
-In consultation with the audition committee, the Music Director may invite candidates to perform work weeks with the orchestra or services with the orchestra in lieu of the national audition.
-Any candidate invited to play with the orchestra as part of such invitation will be asked to perform a solo audition before the audition committee and Music Director at the conclusion of the candidate's services / work with the orchestra.
This requirement can be waived (at some orchestras) by mutual agreement of the audition committee and Music Director.
-After the canidate performs the work with the orchestra and performs a solo audition (even if they decline the solo audition), the candidate advances to final voting.
In this day and age, this is how orchestras are able to recruit top talent away from one another.
I wrote more about the audition procedure and the screening of applicants back on the Charlotte Symphony audition thread (for those that just HAVE to read more about this
)
