The CSO has published the retirement of three veteran memners – cellist Gary Stucka; assistant principal viola Li-Kuo Chang, and Peter Conover, principal librarian. Stucka was hired by Solti in 1986. Chang was promoted by Muti in 2017.
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And yet, certain much needed retirements in the brass section have yet to occur. One hopes that said players can make a graceful exit so that the CSO brass can be restored to its former glory.
Don’t understand the downvote, trombones are 10 years overdue, in one certain case maybe 20
Jay Friedman still plays absolutely flawless.
Right, I’ll have to visit ENT then, don’t remember a concert when either he or Vernon sounded acceptable, let alone flawless
You should indeed visit ENT
My friend and colleague Li Kuo Chang has been Assistant Principal Viola of the CSO since 1988. He became Acting Principal upon the retirement of Charlie Pickler, but was never “promoted by Muti”. I will miss him, and wish him much happiness for the future. The only Principal who is retiring is our Principal Librarian Peter Conover, another wonderful colleague.
Well, how many children of current principals/concertmaster are looking for a strings job?
You’re thinking Cleveland, or Vienna
Welcome to Slipped Disc. Cleveland has been out of that game years. Vienna—no surprise, it’s West Virginia over there.
Back to Chicago, do some reading up on recent developments there. Nice to have you here.
The function and duties of a librarian are entirely administrative. They are not “musicians”, and equating them to the people on the stage is obtuse. Such an odd world we live in. Mazel tov on a fine career, but it’s an admin job.
Wrong. The librarian positions are part of the CBA and they are held in as much esteem amongst the musicians as any other principal or section player. The musicians of the orchestra realize how valuable they are to doing their job well on stage.
The CSO librarians are part of the CBA, and are considered part of the orchestra. Moreover, “Throughout his CSO tenure, Conover has played guitar with the orchestra, particularly 33 performances worldwide of Mahler’s Symphony No. 7, and on many film concerts.”
People with views like this will be the first ones to complain when their bowings are wrong or they have a hard page turn.
Who is now leading violas? It’s not good that both principal and assistant principal positions are now vacant. CSO must now do something – and quickly!
A new article on the CSO is like an icy stab in the center of my heart. What will I do without Muti? I am lost and frightened.
I have to believe that my life, without Him, still has meaning.
But then I turn and look at the podium, and He’s not there. I want to believe He is just about to come back, that He just left to take some rest or something.
How am I supposed to carry on like this?
@ Rat.
If you can’t believe in the Italian Stallion, you can always believe in second place runners like Jesus, the Dalai Lama, or Allah. There are other choices than just The Maestro.
You can do this. You can get away break this addiction to boring concerts, over hyped PR, and anything titled Zell.
I believe in you. You can do this.
(The comments on this site are like the Nextdoor.com of the classical music world)
Li-Kuo Chang is the best. Lucky Indiana!
Hi, I am enjoying these classical discussions. I think when people know their time has come, they sometimes know. Yet, like the movie Coda with Patrick Stewart, there is a divide, a back and forth. In other movies and realities, it’s over and they know it. It is going on in many non Classical areas as we speak. On a bright side, my daughter is in Iceland tonight, hopefully she goes to Harpa Concert Hall. Looks amazing. Thanks for this time, I just found this site.