A press release from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra brings the news that San Francisco Symphony's associate principal horn, Mark Almond, is the new principal horn of the CSO.
We still don't know the results of the June auditions for SFS principal horn or who will be playing trial weeks. Keep your eyes open for the first few weeks of the season.
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I heard for the June audition both Almond and Cooper were offered trials. Cooper however seemed set to start as Associate principal with LA Phil, which he more or less announced on his Instagram stories. Considering that Cooper had trouble with principal positions in both Berlin and Chicago (not necessarily for the same reasons), he might want to settle this time for an easier position, though it certainly doesn't preclude the possibility that he might want another go at another principal position. Are there really so few great horn players around? Lots of orchestras are having problems filling principal horn positions.
I've heard that as well about the trials. SFS is having problems right now because of the contract situation, that is, there isn't a contract, hasn't been one since last year, and the big pay cut during the pandemic hasn't been restored to the musicians, only to staff and administration.
I'm curious which other orchestras are having principal horn issues. At SFS, there's an opening because Robert Ward is retiring after something like 20 years as principal and 43 in the orchestra. Chicago has had problems for years owing to Dale Clevenger's decline and not hiring just the right new principal, as I understand their situation.
NY Phil still hasn't filled theirs since Philip Myers retired in 2017. Boston recently filled theirs by promoting Sebring, the associate principal horn, but Sebring joined the orchestra in 1981 and might also be looking at retirement in a few years. Berlin still hasn't filled one of theirs, and neither has BRSO. It just seems to me there is a shortage of "worldclass" horn players on both side of the Atlantic, at least judging by how long some of these vacancies have kept open.
Thanks for that information. There's another SFS update: Daniel Hawkins is now the principal horn of the Dallas Symphony, a move from Utility Horn at SFS.
Daniel Hawkins at the Dallas Symphony
Press release is out today with all of the personnel changes, which are extensive, more than I'd thought.
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