In a private message via this forum I have been asked about the Danish orchestral tuba biases.
To my best knowledge there are none beyond the demand, that any applicant can play a lean bass tuba (be it in F or Eb) and a mighty contrabass tuba (be it in CC or in BBb).
No Danish tuba student will graduate from any of our conservatories without being fluent in all 4 pitches.
I’m not entirely sure whether there are any BBb tubas in service in any of our orchestras right now, but I doubt a BBb being a hindrance for the right player
The EU used to put some limitations on work permits for non-EU citizens. But if you look at the rosters of the Danish orchestras, you will see, that there can’t have been any rigged or biased auditions.
Just about any permutation of gender, nationality, and instrument is represented.
We have had a problem with our top notch younger strings not wanting to play in orchestras, but that trend is changing and the players in question now tend to hold orchestral chairs and maintain their extremely fine chamber groups at the same time. One of our finest violin players by own choice holds a last desk chair.
As for the Danish tuba chair apparently up for audition now (I have been busy keeping my eyesight intact, so I have been informed via the US) I will say this: the previous holder of the chair apparently has chosen to teach full time. I am aware of two of his temporary substitutes, both Danes, who have done immensely admirable duties. They both hold their own chairs in two different countries.
If the jury takes one of these two guys, please don’t take that as Danish chauvinism: both of them have proven themselves worthy of the chair in question over lengthy periods.
If an anecdote may be allowed:
In 1993 I was asked to step in as a substitute bassbone on a tour trough Eastern Europe with the band, where the younger of the Danes mentioned above here was 2nd Eb tuba. His quintet fared very well in a competition a few years later. Which I told in the band I then played tuba in.
“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES, but you couldn’t keep up speed with him already back thenâ€