Retirements, Many of Them, at San Francisco Symphony

Davies Symphony Hall

Photo by Lisa Hirsch

It's typical of San Francisco Symphony to announce retirements at the beginning of a new season or end of an old season. We're somewhere in the middle of a barely-existent season right now, and this morning I received a list of players who have retired this season. These are in addition to the previously-announced retirements of Tim Day (principal flute) and Robin McKee (associate principal flute)*, that is, half the flute section, and of course the death last year of principal cello Michael Grebanier. It's...a long list, which I think is not really surprising given what the last year has been like and given what it takes to maintain your playing at a high level.

• Associate Principal & E-flat Clarinet Luis Baez (30 years of service) 
• Violin Paul Brancato (41 years of service)  
• Viola Nancy Ellis (46 years of service)  
• Bass Trombone John Engelkes (39 years of service) 
• Violin Sharon Grebanier (48 years of service) 
• Clarinet David Neuman (34 years of service)  
• Violin Diane Nicholeris (36 years of service)  
• Bass William Ritchen (37 years of service)  
• Viola John Schoening (46 years of service)  
• Cello Margaret Tait (45 years of service) 
• Bassoon Rob Weir (28 years of service) 

Holy single reeds, Batman: that's half the clarinet section leaving. Principal clarinet Carey Bell and clarinet / alto clarinet / bass clarinet Jerome Simas remain.

Esa-Pekka Salonen will be spending about half his first season auditioning new musicians. 

* Re Day and McKee, SFS announced last February that they planned to retire at the end of the 2020-21 season. I am looking at the email right now, and I blogged about this when I received the email.