V.com weekend vote: Have you ever served as a concertmaster?
In case you missed it, there was a big announcement this week in the concertmaster department - violinist Nathan Cole, who has been Principal Associate Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2011, was just named Concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Certainly that is one of the most prestigious concertmaster positions - and one of the most hard-won appointments of all time. Not only is it a top orchestra, but in the five years since the position went vacant, Boston really put their concertmaster candidates through the wringer. They held three rounds of auditions from 2021 to 2023, without choosing anyone. Finally this spring they held a fourth, in which they invited various candidates to perform as guest concertmasters during the orchestra's spring season. Only after that did they name Nathan. It takes some serious tenacity to stick with that level of trial!
But if someone is going to be your leader for 35 years, as was Nathan's predecessor Malcolm Lowe, you want to make the right decision, and it looks to me like they did.
Can you name these concertmasters and their orchestras? :)
Of course, this made me think a lot about concertmasters and this whole business of being "concertmaster." While few people get to serve in this role at such an elite level, a lot of us sit in a concertmaster chair - somewhere - along the way, whether it's in school, in a youth orchestra, in an amateur orchestra, in a recording orchestra, at church or in a professional orchestra.
Whatever the context, it's usually safe to say that you are in the "hot seat." Yes, it's an honor, and it's also (usually!) great to sit so close to the conductor (and as far from the piccolo or drums as possible). However, you have a real responsibility. You are also responsible for leading the section, doing the bowings, and playing any concertmaster solos. If you miss an entrance, if the bowings aren't to everyone's liking, etc. - you are the one who gets the gripes.
When I was young, I was concertmaster (*not "concertmistress"!) of several youth symphonies, and while I loved playing up front and doing the bowings, I could barely stand the whole business of walking out on stage, all by myself! I did get over that, especially playing as concertmaster in an orchestra at Disney World (we switched off in this role), where they really emphasized that we were in "showbiz" and better embrace it! Since then I have served as concertmaster here and there in professional orchestras, but if I had to choose, my favorite spot in the orchestra is principal second! I got to do that for a while in the Redlands Symphony and just loved it.
Have you ever served as a concertmaster? If so, what was (or is!) the context? What are your feelings about it? What have been some of your favorite experiences in this role? If you have never sat in that position, is it something you ever wanted to do? And while we're at it, who have been some of your favorite concertmasters? Please participate in the vote (and if you have more than one answer, just pick the one that reflects the most interesting experience for you) - and then share your thoughts in the comments.
You might also like:
- Nathan Cole Named Concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
- The Problem with 'Concertmistress'
- The Day I Played as Concertmaster for Ray Charles!
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I was concertmaster of the community orchestra I played in when I lived in Boston. I enjoyed it. It meant a lot to me after I restarted the violin after a long break. I’d go as far as to say it was life-changing. It helped me get over some intense performance anxiety I’d had as a child and teen and gave me a chance to play some challenging solos, such as those in the Mozartiana suite, the Russian Easter Overture, and the Dvorak Cello Concerto. I also got to know everyone, including our sister chorale, socially, because they all saw me walk out on stage for tuning and knew my name before I knew theirs. I got nominated as Vice-President of the organization one year and promised “it’s an easy job,” only to find myself being President for a month while the real President was in the hospital and having to resolve a cease and desist order from BMI because someone hadn’t paid our BMI fee. This meant I learned what BMI and ASCAP were in the first place and why we had to pay those fees. (It’s so that composers not in the public domain get their royalties).
Anyway, now that I moved to CA and became a violist, I think my concertmaster days are behind me, but I get where you’re coming from about principal 2nd. I am principal viola and I think it’s similar. I feel like it’s the best seat in the house. Even when I’m in the back of the violas, as I was when I was just starting, I love sitting in the middle of things. It was like that for me in high school too, where I spent a lot of time in the second violins. You can hear everything and know where your part fits in.
I came in at the concertmistress/ concertmaster transition for the group. The woman who had been the regular concertmistress before me had had the role for something like 50 years. She had been in the group since its inception in 1939 up through the 1990s, and had been concertmistress when they, for example, raised money for the war effort in World War II. When I knew her she was still playing, in the back of the 1sts, in her 90s. She gave me a bunch of her music. She retired in 2011 or so and passed away a few years later at 96. We played a quartet at her funeral. She embraced the title of concertmistress, and some people called me that too because they were used to it. I didn’t mind, I thought it was kind of charming.
Yes, at school. My orchestra experience spanned only 7 years, from early high school - about 5 years after I’d started playing - till partway through my degree program. My teacher said, “They’ll probably start you on 2nd violin,” which they did - I was among the youngest players in the ensemble, besides having no previous orchestra experience.
At the start of the 2nd semester, I got kicked upstairs to 1st. Then I got to sit next to the CM, even filling in for him during a session or two when he was away. After that, I was lead violin for several high school spring musical shows. After I’d graduated, our music director contacted me and asked me to come back and fill this role again for more shows, which I did.
My preadolescent ambition to become a symphony player is what nerved me to take up violin as a kid. Yet later, during the degree program, once I had the required semester hours in orchestra, I decided that chamber music - one player to a part - suited me better. I’ve stuck with the decision. I listen a lot to orchestral music but no longer make this kind of music as a player.
Looking at the results of the vote I can't believe that apparently something close to like 40 people here are professional concertmasters? To these people: please chime in more in the discussions, we'd love to hear more from you! All too often it's just the amateurs who say something, which is insane if 40 professional concertmasters are reading our pitiful remarks.
Re: "Concertmistress" vs Concertmaster ~ {#5}
I see very fine Violinist, Mary Ellen Goree's Reply #1 here and know she is being extremely modest when offering the various differing Concertmistress/Concertmaster posts she has held or a part time been & invited to occupy from her High School Orchestra on up to and going from Principle 2nd Violinist to the "Hot Seat" as it was always known, being 1 big jump but the violinistic-musical skills are similar excepting some Concertmaster Solo's in very difficult complex Orchestral Masterwork Scores and I will here include All Orchestral Scores of Strauss, i.e., Don Juan; 'Til Eulenspiegel; Zarathustra and 'Big Daddy' of them all,"Ein Heldenleben" & is truly a Violin Concerto with Huge Orchestral behind-fused backing of the most formidable orchestral score of Any Composer, Period!!
When preparing for my invited to Audition for Co-Concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, I learnt and prepared for untold exhaustive hours over 6-10 Weeks, 'Ein Hedenleben' whilst both fingering and bowing it numerous times going over these markings depending on my progress when learning Concertmaster Solo's which to be truly candid, require Touring Concert Artist
Violin Soloist Skills demanded in most important Violin Concerti repertoire w/Brahms, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Sibelius, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Saint Saens, Chausson, Ravel, Lalo, Berg, Korngold, Khachaturian, Wieniawski, Vieuxtemps, Vivaldi plus Shostakovich and Prokofiev All Together to offer a serious International Concert Artist Agency to represent one on what I know to be International Concert Soloist in Violin Global Touring 'Circuit' then & still now ... If one has mastery of at least half of the fabled Violin Concerti including Chausson's Poeme & Ravel's Tzigane, plus others to be named due lack of space, one then has an opportunity and chance to give a formidable Audition for a Major American Orchestra and including the Major European Orchestras, Berliner Philharmoniker; Bamberger Symphoniker; Munich Philharmonic; London Symphony Orchestra; LPO, RPO and Philharmonia, all of whom are a Major Part of the London Concert Scene, and not forgetting the London Proms in Summer with BBC Radio Symphony Orchestra, and other 4 BBC Symphony Affiliate Major Orchestras equally demanding in Concertmaster Solo Repertoire throughout the UK ... So, it seems to me, a Veteran Violin Soloist, also trained well to be a violinist in an orchestra and a Concertmaster by Poppa R. Matesky when just 7 yrs of age, already Leading All LA Elementary Schools Orchestra
on a LIVE KTLA Television Telecast, and doing so without a hiccup! It Is a Demanding and also Wondrous Post to Hold yet one must be prepared psychologically for all Twists and Turns in and outside of the Orchestra, aka, relationships with both colleagues and with Mgmt + Board Members if a Major Orchestra like the CSO or Boston or NY Philharmonic + one's public in the sense of being available to come speak with the children and on up about what it would be like and require to prepare to be a Member first and then to maybe become a bonafide Concertmaster, preferring not to say 'Concertmistress' casting doubts about competency of any or All Female Leaders of any Orchestra & Now in Today's environment!
The Demands Editor, Laurie Niles, described re Boston Symphony Lengthy Concertmaster Post are DBA and quite routine with the exception of (for me), being a great help in learning the specific Orchestra 'feel' & How all sections intermingle under public performance pressure plus from "the Hot Seat" view = How a perspective Concertmaster 'reads'/knows the intentions of Said Conductor's and as many as possible in a shortened period of The Guest Concertmaster residency when then seriously considered for the coveted Position titled 'Concertmaster Wanted' in the AFM International Magazine where most Jobs are posted with only 2 or 3 months In Advance Notice ...
One's Violin Soloist experience, in my own professional career, has been a significant factor in Being Invited by Orchestra Mgmt to Audition vs trying to submit a CV to Audition. This is an Immense difference from the Latter. One is forever at a disadvantage if just trying to get invited to audition due to several aspiring from within the Violin I and II Ranks to Audition and to capture the Post of New Concertmaster with one's Colleagues listening in the Final Round
of Any FINAL of a Concertmaster Audition in the United States!!! I Know: I had to perform the Brahms Violin Concerto & in full, three times in one night for both Sir Georg Solti, then for most of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra seated in front rows to listen to my Brhams Violin Concerto again and with Piano Accompaniment of The Pianist, wondrous Mary Sauer, thrice to then be playing off against a violinist from the orchestra having heard my full audition & remember thrice performed Brahms V.C., plus 'Ein Heldenleben' most Concertmaster Solo's, plus Scheherazade complete Solo's, and Excerpts thrown in of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Nights Dream 'Scherzo'. which I can experienced state unless backed by such extraordinary Violin Mentor's, Jascha Heifetz and Nathan Milstein, thinking of me as a Concert Soloist yet due my foresight remarkably smart father, Ralph, telling me from aged 6 "You are going to learn to play in an Orchestra!" I'm most fortunate to have had a Juiliiard Top of Class rare musician and Prime Conductor, Teacher, Educator, Builder of Confidence w/The Sports Mentality teaching me from Day One,to be prepared for whatever came my way but unprepared for the situation I did encounter After knowing in one's gut I had played my Best and deserved the Position yet
not knowing nor understanding Major Orchestra political goings on at the time & shocked when hearing my playing was the Best but some were concerned about my ability to hold the Top Seat due some difficult to handle members of the Orchestra!! Wow! But Sir Georg Solti wanted me to come to Chicago to meet fellow guest conductors knowing of my then burgeoning concert career known Violin Soloist, and made me an Offer I could Not Refuse and which meant leaving my Professional Syracuse Symphony Soloist with Concertmaster Post of then titled Syracuse Symphony of NY and
moving to Chicago, IL!!!! It was to be a Life changing decision and I was kindly {by Solti and General Manager, late John Edwards, given until August 1, in May to make a decision, going to Europe to play Concerts; visiting Zurich to play the Khachaturian Violin Concerto as Invited Guest Artist 'Guinea Pig Heifetz Pupil' of my Epic Mentor, Nathan Milstein, and visiting other friends/colleagues in London, to try to decide if the decision to go ahead and forego coming back to London, to again return to Concert Artist Mgmt, was/would be the Right Decision for myself??? Even my parents rejected the idea as did Mr. Milstein, but one's gut was wondering about the Future yet weeping inside at the thought of not moving back to beloved London in my garden flat still full of personal belongings much adored????
This, Violinist.com Friends, is a real conundrum of all professional touring artists and of those string playing cousins who are beyond fortunate enough to be able to do Both, aka, continuing one's Soloist Touring Career, plus recordings and being an honoured new Member of a coveted Major American Orchestra, which I was and so touched by Solti's felt genuine Offer to help me "Have an Emotional Home" ~ Direct Solti Quote to myself when struggling to decide What to Do? I am not complaining one iota; to the contrary, I wish anyone reading this to know How fortunate I felt & still feel being a Member of the famed Solti/CSO which became known in London, {instead of the Al Capone Violin Cases musicians, 'The Solti Chicago Symphony Orchestra' with many Londoner's treating one like an almost Rock Star at the time!!!! So, to go back to the original question of whether to be titled a Concertmistress or the Concertmaster, I would if pushed, prefer Concertmaster, which ends with the word, 'master,' and suggests a professional violinist is a Master not a Mistress of the Instrument, The Violin, and has been for Centuries known & revered as "The King of Instruments", thusly implying one who Leads The ? a Major US Orchestra then globally acclaimed, is a Master Violinist in the 'Hot Seat'!
A Word: Famed Saying: "When Concertmaster, you must lead and blend in with all others; when playing Solo's you must sound like Heifetz!"
I note Josef Gingold in the photograph who served magnificently as Prime Concertmaster of George Szell's Cleveland Orchestra, and was thought prior to Sir Georg Solti's arrival as new Music Director of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Greatest Major Orchestra in the United States with its reputation crossing the Atlantic, Big Time! Also I would ask Why the Greatest Concertmaster of our Baby Boomer Generation, Glenn Dicterow, longest serving under Leonard Bernstein Concertmaster in the NY Philharmonic, continuing on w/Lorin Maazel, and one other afterward and now too bad soon to be Music Director, Gustavo Dudamel won't have Glenn Dicterow to lean on ... Why is Glenn Dicterow Not Pictured on the Front? I feel it a Huge Oversight and also Insult to GOAT US born in Los Angeles, now Holder of The Heifetz Chair, Glenn Dicterow, Not featured for he Is and Remains The Finest US Concertmaster of both The Twentieth and Twenty First Century thus far ... Please, Laurie Niles, reverse this very serious Error to give Glenn Dicterow his recognized by most Top Musicians Globally, Due ... TY!
A 2nd Word: It is Always an Honour to sit Concertmaster or older titled 'Concertmistress' in your community orchestras or wherever you land! Just make very sure you know all the most favoured Orchestral Repertoire Concertmaster Solo's by heart so you can follow the Baton of whomever is on The Podium especially in Rimsky Korsakov's, Sheherazade & 'Til Eulenspiegel of Strauss, & any Beethoven or Brahms or Tchaikovsky Symphonies due many younger Conductor's trying to Impress rather than to 'Offer' clear and precise directions to all members of your orchestra for The Music to Win!!!!!
~ ~ With Memorial Day Offerings from Chicago ~ ~
.................. Elisabeth Matesky ..................
Fwd ~ dmg
In my country we call them Leaders, rather than Concertmasters. I ticked school orchestra, because i did lead our school Junior Orchestra for some years (the school orchestra proper was only ever led by the school violin master at concerts, and almost all rehearsals. I did get to lead it at a rehearsal of the Missa Solennis the Christmas after i left school, when the master could not be there, which gave me a chance to display my interpretation of the Benedictus). I did also later lead the orchestra for the Gilbert and Sullivan Society at the hospital in whose lab I worked.I think i may also have led other youth and amateur performances.
Boston sent everyone home on three separate occasions without naming a concertmaster - so they had four audition occasions over a period of several years. It also took them five years to fill the vacant position, but of course they had to contend with a pandemic that happened right after their cm retired. I would still call the process exceptional.
It would have been nice to include poll options for section leader positions. I've never been a concertmaster; I switched to viola when I was just barely reaching the intermediate learner stage, and since then I've only played violin in orchestras when needed as a sub. And I'll probably never be in the concertmaster role, unless I play principal viola in an orchestra playing a violin-less piece, e.g. Brandenburg 6 or Brahms Serenade No. 2. But I've been principal violist of two different community orchestras for a total of six years. (Not any more, because one of those orchestras is defunct and the other no longer fits in my schedule.)
When leading a section, there are two concertmasters I've tried to emulate: Terje Tønnesen (Norwegian Chamber Orchestra) and Lorenza Borrani (Chamber Orchestra of Europe).
Perhaps for the next poll!
I'm presently concertmaster of our local community orchestra, Blacksburg Community Strings. Previously I was principal violist of the same group.
Regarding more options I think the way "weekend vote" is coded gives Laurie a certain maximum number of choices.
I was concertmaster of my school orchestra in 9th grade and then, for one year, concertmaster and soloist of Cremona's Orchestra and Choir. But that was in another geological era, when dinosaurs roamed the earth and cars had fins.
Sure. I was CM during Juilliard years then as CM of the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra as well as guest sometimes. Yes, it is heavy responsibility, but I enjoy that responsibility
I served as CM of my high school orchestra and later as CM of some professional orchestras, including the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, the Regina Opera where I played many CM solos and other groups. I was also invited to do a national Broadway tour as CM for Miss Saigon.
I also had the privilege of briefly studying with legendary CM, Glenn Dicterow. I second the motion, about Glenn, Elizabeth! Fantastic violinist, excellent teacher and great guy!
The role of a CM is very demanding and multi faceted. One moment you’re a team player, another, you have a solo and are expected to sound like Heifetz. You have to simultaneously follow and lead, serve as a role model in your preparation and commitment and much more. Yet with all of that I have always found the experience to be satisfying and rewarding.
Now one of my teen students is CM of her youth orchestra and I am so proud of her!
Like many of us here I got acquainted with Nathan Cole through v.com. He’s an excellent violinist and seems like a very nice guy and I wish him all the best.
For a more in-depth study of the subject I highly recommend the book, “America’s Concertmasters” by Anne Mischakoff.
I've never been a concertmaster. During my youth orchestra days, I mostly played viola in orchestra even though violin (and piano) were my primary instruments, and this was (of course) due to the (good old) viola shortage. Now, I'm in a community orchestra playing violin because there are enough viola players, and the violinists rotate sections from concert to concert, except for the concertmaster and principal second violin, and I'm not one of these.
Raphael, I loved re-reading your blog from years back, about playing concertmaster for a show with Ray Charles!
Thanks! I had similar temporary CM positions for Regis Philbin and Clay Aiken.
I like the concertmaster spot because then I can design the bowings and other details the way I want to do them.
I have only been concertmaster or section leader for not fully professional orchestras, at the youth/student, university, or community orchestra level, and also lead violin for recording sessions or non-classical genres, but that's another world.
unfortunately not, anyone like to give me the opportunity?
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May 26, 2024 at 12:58 PM · Yes: concertmaster of my high school orchestra for four years, my youth orchestra (senior year), conservatory chamber orchestra (senior year), associate concertmaster (acting concertmaster for smaller concerts) in a provincial professional Japanese orchestra while on a six-month cultural exchange, co-concertmaster of a regional US orchestra early in my career, and very occasional guest concertmaster, moving over from my principal 2nd chair, in my later jobs. The last one mentioned mostly only took place for the least desirable concerts when all the titled 1st violins had taken time off.
I enjoy the experience as a one-off and frequently play concertmaster at gigs, but it can be a lot of work and stress in a professional orchestra.