St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

[russiantuba]

Audition information

https://slso.org/your-slso/auditions/

In the notes, players are required to read off physical music at the audition, as tablets and other electronic devices are not allowed.

I suspect it will not be a cattle call as there is an excerpt list for rejected and discouraged applicants.

[Mark]

Audition requirements and repertoire, salary and benefits all sound like a good deal. This is a good orchestra.

I'll pull a slight bloke and suggest if you win the audition, don't consider living in East Saint Louis to save on rent.

[sdloveless]

...as there is an excerpt list for rejected and discouraged applicants.

I'm genuinely confused. (Note, I've never auditioned for anything more rigorous than college admissions.) What, exactly, is that list for?

[Mark]

...as there is an excerpt list for rejected and discouraged applicants.

I'm genuinely confused. (Note, I've never auditioned for anything more rigorous than college admissions.) What, exactly, is that list for?

If after you send in your application, you are not chosen to attend the auditions, you can still send in a recording.

[sdloveless]

OK, that makes perfect sense. Thank you.

[russiantuba]

...as there is an excerpt list for rejected and discouraged applicants.

I'm genuinely confused. (Note, I've never auditioned for anything more rigorous than college admissions.) What, exactly, is that list for?

If after you send in your application, you are not chosen to attend the auditions, you can still send in a recording.

That is my guess. Again, I’m not huge on the circuit as it is very expensive, but I do follow the list and trends when teaching and working. The closest I’ve seen to this that didn’t have a recorded round was Baltimore, which allowed any applicant to send a preliminary recording to see if the committee thought the applicant should make the trip based on the recording. This was optional, however, and very respectful for the musicians.

I also suspect since a winner wasn’t chosen in the last audition, and the audition before that was just a couple years before, the committee is going to be stricter on invite lists. However, many are cognizant of what happened to Carol Jantsch on the first Philly audition (being declined based on resume), and this giving rejected applicants who might meet the standards who don’t have resume to be invited.

[russiantuba]

Good luck to those auditioning.

Any news from from prelims yet?

[kharte_on_tuba]

Congrats to Bridget Conley who won the audition today for principal tuba of the SLSO!

[jtuba]

Any other finalist info?

[russiantuba]

Any other finalist info?

Aaron Tindall said Seth Carter was a super finalist and one of his frost students made finals

[Andy]

Congrats to Bridget Conley who won the audition today for principal tuba of the SLSO!

Any idea why the position is still listed as vacant on the SLSO website?

[bort2.0]

Congrats to Bridget Conley who won the audition today for principal tuba of the SLSO!

Any idea why the position is still listed as vacant on the SLSO website?

Not sure, but this has been a particularly difficult position to fill over the last few years. "I've heard stories..."

[the elephant]

The position is not officially filled until the winner returns a signed contract to management, Usually a winner is given a copy of the full MA and a time limit to look it over before committing. For my job, I was given 30 days to review our 150-page Master Agreement. I had an attorney look it over to make sure that nothing promised to me verbally was mysteriously not in the actual document. It is a very serious thing, signing a contract with an orchestra, just like signing a contract with a large corporation.

[bort2.0]

Signing an employment contract with a large corporation is a whole bunch of nothing due to at-will employment (except in Montana). Either side can call it off for almost any reason at any time.

I guess unions interject and change things a little bit... But signing an employment contract with a company is more like "hurry up and sign it and start working there before they change their mind."

Been there, done that, on both sides multiple times.

[hrender]

Signing an employment contract with a large corporation is a whole bunch of nothing due to at-will employment (except in Montana). Either side can call it off for almost any reason at any time.

This. Worked for MCI, Ford Motor Co. and another, smaller, company. Paperwork was pretty minimal, although there were NDAs.

[russiantuba]

There are some orchestras, as stated in the master agreements, that are still given a trial period when “winning” an audition. This starts before the tenure period begins. There was a western US orchestra that chose a “winner” who was given a trial period with the orchestra, and from what I heard, was dismissed a week later.

Another thing that could occur is that the contract doesn’t start until the 2026 season (which I believe was in the audition). The orchestra has likely contracted out the entire season with subs with the spot officially filled when the 2026 season starts.

Again, I can’t say either are the case here—but it is something to keep in mind. Gene said it well on his excerpt CD—there is a difference in winning a job and keeping a job.

[Andy]

There are some orchestras, as stated in the master agreements, that are still given a trial period when “winning” an audition. This starts before the tenure period begins. There was a western US orchestra that chose a “winner” who was given a trial period with the orchestra, and from what I heard, was dismissed a week later.

Another thing that could occur is that the contract doesn’t start until the 2026 season (which I believe was in the audition). The orchestra has likely contracted out the entire season with subs with the spot officially filled when the 2026 season starts.

Again, I can’t say either are the case here—but it is something to keep in mind. Gene said it well on his excerpt CD—there is a difference in winning a job and keeping a job.

This makes a lot of sense. I remember calling an orchestra after the final audition for their tuba opening and asked them who won the audition. The personnel director informed me that the winner was "so-and-so." I said, great, "so-and-so" got the job, to which the personnel director replied no, "so-and-so" won the audition. I wish I could remember the orchestra and musicians involved, but in fact, "so-and-so" did not get the job, someone else did.

[russiantuba]

There are some orchestras, as stated in the master agreements, that are still given a trial period when “winning” an audition. This starts before the tenure period begins. There was a western US orchestra that chose a “winner” who was given a trial period with the orchestra, and from what I heard, was dismissed a week later.

Another thing that could occur is that the contract doesn’t start until the 2026 season (which I believe was in the audition). The orchestra has likely contracted out the entire season with subs with the spot officially filled when the 2026 season starts.

Again, I can’t say either are the case here—but it is something to keep in mind. Gene said it well on his excerpt CD—there is a difference in winning a job and keeping a job.

This makes a lot of sense. I remember calling an orchestra after the final audition for their tuba opening and asked them who won the audition. The personnel director informed me that the winner was "so-and-so." I said, great, "so-and-so" got the job, to which the personnel director replied no, "so-and-so" won the audition. I wish I could remember the orchestra and musicians involved, but in fact, "so-and-so" did not get the job, someone else did.

I got ringed out years ago on the old board when someone was selling a horn that they said won the New Jersey Symphony. I mentioned that Derek used his PT 6P to win it, and apparently the guy selling the horn was a tubist with the West Point band, won the NJSO but turned it down, and Derek was offered the position (potentially the same day).

[catgrowlB]

Though apparently someone 'won' the audition back in October of last year, the tuba position still says 'vacant' on their website 5 months later. Interesting...

[bisontuba]

Quite possibly, the woman who won the position may not be starting with them until the Summer and/or Fall, hence the position is technically vacant at the current time with folks filling in until she begins....