The Omaha and Florida Auditions

People are always interested in how recent auditions went, and usually the information after the fact is pretty sketchy. However, from the recent Omaha audition we can read a full report at Omaha.com – The Omaha World-Herald: Music – Playing was never such hard work as at an audition. The article begins,

Libby Barnette’s lucky number must be 4.

Last Monday, the veteran French horn player engaged in one of classical music’s most agonizing rituals. She auditioned for a symphony job.

After a grueling eight-hour day of high-stress playing and anxious waiting, Barnette, 39, won the job. It was her fourth audition for the Omaha Symphony in as many years. She beat out 19 musicians to become the orchestra’s newest part-time section player.

“I knew I had it in me,” said Barnette, who looked both relieved and spent after her artistic and emotional ordeal.

After some details on the audition venue and committee they report what was played, and what the conductor wanted to hear.

Candidates were asked to prepare 18 excerpts from the standard orchestral repertory. These were passages from the great symphonies and concertos of such composers as Beethoven, Brahms and Tchaikovsky. It’s music that all French horn players should learn in school.

During the first round, applicants were asked to play five of those excerpts.

They opened with a brisk and tricky passage from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” and followed it with a deceptively simple solo horn passage from the first movement of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1.

In the Brahms, the horn solo consists of a short series of undulating notes that seem to float weightlessly above the rest of the accompaniment. A perfect rendition of this brief, 20-second passage can create a magical effect.

But sloppy phrasing or poor intonation can ruin the entire 20-minute movement. When that happens, the horn player leaves the stage like a football player who missed the game-winning field goal.

“You’re either going to walk off stage a hero or a disgrace,” said Music Director Thomas Wilkins, who attended some of the auditions. “The sound of the French horn is extremely exposed, so we need players who won’t crack under pressure.”

Three players (numbers 4, 8 and 15) were advanced to the finals. Of the finals we learn,

The screen came down for this round. Finalists were required to play duos and trios with jurors [Jason] DeWater [Principal Horn] and Ross Snyder, the symphony’s assistant principal French horn player. Anonymity, therefore, was no longer possible.

All gave worthy performances.

But candidate No. 4, Barnette, had a clear advantage over her competitors. (The symphony declined to release the names of the other finalists, citing union privacy rules.)

Among other things, Barnette has experience.

She spent nine years playing for the Air Force’s Heartland of America Band — her husband, Staff Sgt. Mark Barnette, still plays tuba for the group. She also plays with the Lincoln Symphony.

In music from Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 and Dvorak’s Cello Concerto, Barnette blended beautifully with DeWater and Snyder. The strength of her performance won the support of Wilkins and the jury.

There are more details in the full article, which paints the picture pretty fully of the experience of auditioning for a regional orchestra in the United States. Also notable is the photo in the article of Barnette, who plays a Schmid triple. The list had a mixture of high and low horn excerpts, and this horn was obviously the right choice for her.

Not so lucky were the horn players who auditioned for Principal Horn in the Florida Orchestra last May. At TampaBay.com we find that

The Florida Orchestra last week held principal French horn auditions, but in the end, it chose no one to fill the position. Brandon Beck has been acting principal this season, following longtime first horn James Wilson’s departure a year ago to be assistant principal horn with the Utah Symphony.

… More than 20 candidates auditioned for the horn job.

“It’s difficult when we have too many auditions and we never take somebody,” said music director Stefan Sanderling … who heard the three finalists play. “But should we take somebody when we are not convinced it’s the right level? I’m very much opposed to the idea of just taking somebody. It’s like a marriage. If you’re not completely sure, don’t get married.”

There are less details in the article on the Florida audition, but it also answers the question why in some auditions nobody is hired. Words to ponder if you are actively taking auditions.

[Hat tips to Travis Bennett for posting the Omaha article to Facebook and to Bruce Hembd for a link to the Florida audition info.]