Philadelphia Orchestra principal trumpeter takes post in Georgia
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Artswatch
Philadelphia Orchestra principal trumpeter takes post in Georgia
Peter Dobrin, Inquirer Classical Music Critic
The Philadelphia Orchestra - in the midst of tough contract talks with musicians and a related chapter 11 petition - is losing some of its best players. Principal clarinetist Ricardo Morales has accepted the same post with the New York Philharmonic, and cellist Efe Baltacıgil is leaving to become principal cellist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
Now, the orchestra's principal trumpeter, David Bilger, has accepted a two-year visiting professorship at the University of Georgia. He'll continue as a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra, but is cutting back on his number of weeks. Bilger's thinking behind his decision is nuanced and, to be frank, elegiac. Rather than paraphrase, I'll let him tell the story himself. Here's his letter to me (published with his permission):
Hi Peter -
I have indeed accepted the position as Visiting Professor of Music and William F. and Pamela P. Prokasy Professor in the Arts at the University of Georgia, beginning immediately. I will continue my important work at the Curtis Institute of Music, as well as my teaching at Temple University. I will also be fulfilling most of my obligations with the POA.
I will be commuting on a regular basis to Athens, Georgia, to work with the talented students there. The management of the POA, and the administration at UGA were extremely generous and flexible in allowing me to schedule my work in both cities. I will be missing 4 subscription weeks in Philadelphia during the 11-12 season, and I was able to carefully identify, and arrange leave for, the weeks that are the least artistically demanding for the trumpet. I also, unfortunately, had to withdraw from performing Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #2 in November. That piece is quite specialized, and requires a commitment of preparation time that I do not feel I can offer given my schedule. I would never go on stage without being able to offer the audience my best effort, so I was forced to withdraw.
For quite some time I have had my eye on the University of Georgia, and had hoped that a position would be open when it was time for me to retire from the POA. Quite sadly, Fred Mills (formerly of the Canadian Brass) held the Prokasy Professorship at UGA, and died in a car accident in 2009, which left the faculty position open much sooner than I had anticipated.
It would be disingenuous of me not to admit to you that pursuing the position at UGA at this point in my career was a response to the current difficulties and uncertainties at the POA. In fact, it would have been irresponsible of me NOT to be looking for career opportunities elsewhere. Previously, I had always believed that I would retire from playing as a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra. But now, given the uncertain financial future of the orchestra, it is imperative to reassess my career options.
One of the more vocal members of the POA Board of Directors has stated on many occasions that the musicians of the orchestra won't leave, no matter what sort of contract (and pension) is offered to us. He has flatly stated, "Where will they go?" If he were to be commenting on the unmatched artistic quality of the Philadelphia Orchestra, I wouldn't argue with him. Where else can one listen to an artist like Dick Woodhams play every day? Making music in the Philadelphia Orchestra is indeed a sublime experience. However, the board member's point has only to do with his perception of the limited employment opportunities in the arts, and it is not a statement of affirmation about our orchestra. Personally, I know of several titled players in the orchestra who have been reached out to by other orchestras and educational institutions. Contrary to what this board member thinks, there are indeed other places to go.
I shouldn't go into my personal issues with the Strategic Plan. Suffice it to say that I am worried not only about the fiscal problems facing the orchestra, but also the artistic fallout. You have written quite instinctively about the "Plan." I appreciate your insights, and agree with many of your assessments. Thank you for your thoughtful writing.
Peter, I want to be clear that I want the best for the Philadelphia Orchestra. Only time will tell what the future will bring to this extraordinary group of musicians, and how my life will intersect with the future of the institution. For now I will continue to share what I do with the orchestra's loyal patrons, and work to share what I know about music with the next generation of trumpet players, hopefully encouraging those students to achieve their potential as performers, and to also be ambassadors for the arts.
Dave Bilger
Managerial arrogance and incompetence=departure of the best players. Just as with a sinking corporate ship, the talented (who have the most options) leave.— Constant Reader- I, of course, appreciate Mr. Bilger's thoughtful comments and don't want to read too much into one personal anecdote. But it would be absolutely shameful if the board, the musicians, the orchestra's patrons, and the city's political and artistic leaders allow this group to disintegrate, which increasingly seems to be a very real end point for this process. What a travesty to lose one of Philadelphia's truly great, world-class cultural institutions.— Dan K
- David's comments thoughtful, and unfortunately true,as usual.
What a great loss even for 4 subscription concerts (this year).All our best wishes to him for a most exciting new endeavor.
— orchestrapal - The loss of great musicians is heart-wrenching. How is it that the orchestra has been plagued with such second-rate leadership when our city's other great institutions have been so steadily guided through these difficult economic times? Even though the Barnes has gone through financial turmoil, it's still going to have the same number of masterpieces it had before its struggles. Apparently, the orchestra will not be so lucky with its brilliant musicians.— CoolZanna
- The Philadelphia Orchestra has always treated its musicians with disdain, even while paying them well. "I hope you starve" board members said during the strike in '96. The board and management have never understood that the musicians deserve respect for their art, but also that they want to work with the best possible artists.
When the best ones leave, even though they are paid very well, the miserable nature of the job is exposed.
Mr. Bilger would not be the first high-profile musician to go,nor the last. Astute observers have seen a flood of departures since Eschenbach came, and there will be many more. The Orchestra used to attract and keep its great players; for the last seven years it has been driving them away.
When Mr. Bilger gets a taste of life without this misery, he will be "outta-here!" (HK)— altekakker - As both a retired professional musician and Philadelphia Orchestra Carnegie Hall subscriber, I've walked out of the Hall after their concerts on air and so appreciative of their non-pariel ensemble playing. I'm both saddened and terribly angry at what seems to be the wrecking of this incomparable Orchestra.
I hope against hope that this bankruptcy madness ends soon.....— NYMike - Strike a blow, Mr Bilger, strike a blow! There are a million things these brilliant and creative people could have done for a career besides music, and for a lot more money, but they chose symphonic music out of love. Why sit around and tolerate what these musicians have had to swallow for years now in this backwater town that had ONLY a glorious symphony orchestra to lift it above a mere mud puddle? They have done US and this town a favor by being here. I'd leave too.— xkarivalis
- Really, if you find it so terrible here, maybe you should (leave too). — phanatic68
- ...and he brings up a good point. What about Richard Woodhams, solo oboe? Is he going to stand around and get pounded on like this? He could go anywhere.— xkarivalis
- Hold on, he's not left the orchestra, he's demonstrating that he could. According to this, he's being compensated generously to do so, too. This smells a little like brinkmanship. Strategically, it's the obvious move. As long as he has an attractive offer from Georgia he can't lose. That is, as long as he would find teaching there to be as rewarding as being one of the most prominent featured performers with one of the best orchestras in the world. Hmm.
Everybody has taken a beating in the current economic downturn. This group relies on our donations to stay in business. Really, they're going to play hardball? If the administration gives in to such passive-aggressive hints, the organization will become unsustainable and we'll be out an orchestra.
If any of the musicians really can find a better situation than what they've got playing in the Philadelphia Orchestra (refer to http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/artswatch/Philadelphia_Orchestra_Musician_Minimum_Base_Salary_Deceptive.html) then good for them. We'll miss them, but there is a very real limit to what ANY city can afford right now. Yes, there are other good trumpet players out there, even some who will play for less than a quarter of a million dollars a year, if you can believe that. All of our musicians will leave or retire sooner or later. They'll all have to be replaced, whether this year or 10 years from now, but the music can still go on.
— phanatic68 - Mr. phanatic68, a pension plan for workers for workers is an obvious move except for the PO Board. We would not be having this MBA "final solution" if the pension plan was not mismanaged. When the orchestra joined the AFofM pension plan, it was shortly before the economy went south due to bad mortgages and bad paper around them. The president of a major Philadelphia bank holding a lot of that paper oversaw mismanaging the pension plan at that time, even though the signs were all out there.
— LindaGrace1982 - Phanatic68, you don't know music or musicians. It's not just a matter of money, but private colleges pay very well, for 30 weeks, no less, with better benefits than the Orchestra. Plus, you are not playing all day every day. 180 concerts per year starts too wear on you.
Name five trumpet players of similar quality who would take this crummy job it its present state.
These board members have the ability to fund the Orchestra indefinitely, at any level they choose. They just don't want to have a great orchestra anymore. As if they, or you, could tell the difference.
— altekakker - Colleges can probably make very attractive offers sometimes, sure, but they're a very different type of organization. Microsoft could make him a great offer too, but the Philadelphia Orchestra can't try to compete with them. If we were talking about another orchestra, different story; but none of them are going to be able to afford such expensive rosters either. There's a recession on- have you heard? Everybody's taking it on the nose, not just musicians. — phanatic68
- Peter Dobrin is a wonderful writer and an astute musical observer. His description of the magical playing of the Philadelphia Orchestra in today's article was compelling. But would he and David Patrick Stearns take any responsibility for the lack of community support for this orchestra due to the many negative reviews they have written over the years? One wonders at the reviews that are co critical of the incredibly gifted and dedicated members of this great orchestra. And the orchestra board's hostility toward the players is just plain stupid. The musicians have been willling to make concessions on salary. But the mismanagement of their pensions should not be tolerated.— Al B. Tross
- Afraid I think it nonsense that Messrs Dobrin and Stearns contribute appreciably to a "lack of community support" for the PO. Their job is to be critics, not to be cheerleaders, i.e., EVALUATE, not EULOGIZE.
And they pronounce AFTER THE FACT, so they can't have much impact on subscribers at all. In my experience, they are seldom negative about individual "incredibly gifted and dedicated members."
But there WAS the unmitigated disaster of Eschenbach, wished upon them by an arrogant and insensitive Board. It wasn't that even Eschenbach didn't have good days (Turangalila, Mahler 6 & 7). But his mindset simply did not fit with these "incredibly gifted and dedicated" musicians. And I for one stopped going to HIS concerts. Once Dutoit was on board, I revitalized my subscription, because he revitalized the Orchestra.
But the Board is still there, and now there is the appalling Vulgamore (she of the Dickensian name). Otherwise Al, I agree with you: they don't really want the Philadelphia Orchestra, fully aware of the pressure of their heritage upon them to do the very best they can, day-in day-out. They want a dumbed-down group of pickup-players that will no longer be the Fabulous Philadelphians. Shame all round.— fiji
Peter Dobrin is a classical music critic and culture writer for The Inquirer. Since 1989, he has written music reviews, features, news and commentary for the paper, covering such topics as the Philadelphia Museum of Art at the Venice Biennale, expansion of the Curtis Institute of Music, the Philadelphia Orchestra's bankruptcy declaration in 2011, Philadelphia's evolving performing arts center and the general health of arts and culture.
Dobrin was a French horn player. He earned an undergraduate degree in performance from the University of Miami, and received a master's degree in music criticism from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he studied with Elliott Galkin. He has no time to practice today.
