Cincy takes slice of Seattle’s star flute

Cincy takes slice of Seattle’s star flute

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norman lebrecht

April 22, 2019

Seattle Symphony’s principal flute, Demarre McGill, will become Associate Professor of Flute at CCM from August.

McGill, 43, has enjoyed a far-flung career as principal at Dallas, San Diego, the Florida Orchestra and Santa Fe Opera, as well as a stint as acting principal flute of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

He’s a great catch for Cincinnati.

 

Comments

  • Old Man in the Midwest says:

    He’s going to do both? How does this happen?

    In the old days, teachers went to student recitals, band concerts, taught beyond the minimal 1 hr a week, and were there for emotional support.

    It seems these days that the schools want Jet Set teachers to fly in and fly out.

    And students continue to amass large, unserviceable, levels of debt that cannot be repaid unless in a Big 5 orchestra.

    • JPAULO says:

      Very valid comments old man. More and more superbly trained players competing for fewer and fewer positions. We seem to be mass producing an art form that the audiences in the USA have less and less interest in supporting.

      • Sara E says:

        The us empire was simply a mish mash of hustlers and hucksters——everything was abt money. Ontologically, intellectually, and spiritually vapid. Why would us classical music Business be any different?

    • Bruce says:

      When I went to a famous music school (Eastman) back in the 80’s, the school definitely liked having “famous” teachers who went on tours and things and kept the school’s name out in the public eye. The students were not always thrilled that their teachers were often unavailable, and there was often a recital-scheduling traffic jam when the teacher was in town. But that was how the school wanted it, apparently.

      The teachers who lived in town and made their teaching the center of their careers were less valued, it seemed — unless they were turning out a steady stream of audition- and competition-winners.

      Also, in grad school at a somewhat less famous music school (Boston University), several teachers were members of the Boston Symphony and would periodically have to go off on a 3-week tour of Japan or wherever, plus they went to Carnegie Hall (with another stop or two on the way) about 3 times a year. So they were based in the city where they taught, but had to leave periodically.

      Hard to get an “ideal” teacher who is (a) great at teaching, (b) well-known enough to be an attraction for students, and (c) willing/ able to stay in one place all year round. If you’re lucky, you will be able to settle for 2 out of 3 and not 1 out of 3.

  • MacroV says:

    If I’m not mistaken, he’s already been teaching there since about the time he returned to Seattle. Looks like he’s been tenured and therefore promoted to Associate Professor. I don’t know how he manages it since the Seattle Symphony has a fairly busy calendar these days; perhaps he foists off all the non-main season subscription programs (films, pops concerts, etc.) to the assistant principal.

  • FluteTooter says:

    This is the conservatory/university that had three highly qualified flutists from the Cincinnati Symphony on its faculty, offering students a variety of teaching styles from which to benefit. The Dean was unhappy that these faculty members were sometimes four miles away, rehearsing/performing in town with the symphony instead of being at CCM five full days a week, so he hired a “full-time” faculty flutist who regularly spent a very considerable amount of time in New York City and Korea. This “improvement” ended in scandal and resignation. Beware of the compulsion for change until it can verifiably lead to progress.

  • fflambeau says:

    Is he a great catch?

    To me, his resume looks like he’s traveled too much and too frequently. Sort of a tired fish without loyalty rather than a “great catch”.

    I would question that although I know nothing about him or his abilities.

    • Mary says:

      If you admittedly know nothing about him or his abilities, then you have no grounds to pass judgment on his qualifications for the job.

  • Brad says:

    he’s a great musician AND won’t molest his students?
    major improvement to the last instructor there!

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