[Trombone-l] Cleveland Orch Trombone Article in newspaper

[Robert Holland]

James Meador wrote:

> For me, this search is borderline ludicrous ... fantastic trombone 
> players simply turned down the opportunity to audition with the 
> orchestra due to his history with rewarding tenure.

Without getting into disparaging remarks about specific players or 
conductors, my response was also that this search has indeed become 
ludicrous. The Cleveland Orchestra isn't alone in failing to select a 
winner after an audition, but it is a notable offender. It is a true 
rarity, IMO, when an audition is held and no qualified candidate(s) 
emerges, and the apparent waste of everyone's time, effort, and money 
on both sides of the screen is an egregious insult.

I can't guess what the errant motivation behind such shenanigans must 
be, but the notion fostered by the news report that putting off 
selecting a winner of an audition somehow burnishes an orchestra's 
reputation because a certain chair is so critical is utter nonsense. As 
much as any musician strives to be his or her best, music making just 
isn't (or at least shouldn't be) about ego and celebrity. Leave 
attention whoring to other industries. (And besides, far, far move 
people have heard of Sanjaya than have ever heard of Szell, Dohnanyi, 
or Welser-Most.)

Robert Holland, Publisher
Briar Music Press
publisher at briarmusic.com
http://www.briarmusic.com