Next time Simon Rattle turns up at BRSO he will find a compatriot smiling back on second oboe.
Melanie Rothman has just won tenure.
Until now, she has been principal oboist of Hessen State Theatre Orchestra in Wiesbaden and alternate principal of the Duisburger Philharmoniker/ Deutsche Oper am Rhein.
From my monthly essay in the new issue…
WIN: Matias Tarnopolsky played hardball in compensation negotiations…
The orchestra board has just announced that Matías…
The Philadelphia Orchestra are putting a brave face…
Session expired
Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.
Wonderful news! Her spot was vacant since 2016 when Marie-Lise Schüpbach retired so finally that 7 year process has come to the end! Huge congrats to M(r)s Rothman and BRSO!
You do know that Ms. is the generic equivalent to Mr., right? So if you don’t know a woman’s marital status – and I’d like to think we no longer define women by their marital status – just use Ms.! Your question mark ‘r’ is no longer required in 2023.
So happy to see women in the oboe sections of fine orchestras! 50 years ago, while studying music in Germany (I am a pianist) I had oboe as my second instrument… It was absolutely, completely unusual.
Women didn’t play wind instruments, only flute…
I suppose we were “not strong enough.” Haha.
Good news, indeed. Maybe we should all follow them both out of this hell-hole called the UK.
Feel free to take the next flight out, if that’s how you feel about our still-great nation.
As for me, I prefer simply to offer Melanie my heartfelt congratulations. A wonderful outcome!
Perhaps she might have had in mind that there are more music jobs available in Germany than in the UK?
As if anyone cared, once the music begins, what passport anybody has. That‘s the beauty of music, but apparently that enlightenment reveals itself only to real musicians.
yeah. but for us, holders of the second-rate passports – they care. because we are not even allowed to take part in an auditions like these…
Congrats to Melanie!
A talented player who shone all those years ago on BBC Young musician. She has always found her own path – got through some pretty shocking experiences as a teen – and combined a stunning musicianship with a great whack of determination.
Playing on lighter reeds when the trend was for planks – studying in Paris when Brits are very rarely accepted there for oboe – and continuing grad study and competitions in pursuit of this top job when most will have settled into freelance life. It takes A LOT to end up in this position – congrats Mel.
SD, you failed to share the news was given over the tannoy on a plane when all the orchestra were travelling – a lovely touch!