For the second time in a fortnight, an Italian opera house has appointed a young, female first horn.
The Teatro Regio in Turin has chosen Maria Elisa Aricò, presently with the Sicilian Symphony Orchestra.
She joins forces with Serena Flore, the new first horn in Genoa.
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Congratulations.
It is remarkable that both these ladies were studying in Lugano with Alessio Allegini.
They must be indeed very talented.
Also, curious that both seem (to me) to be playing Paxman horns and not Alex 103 so common in so many orchestras, especially in Germany.
Allegrini played Paxman for most of his career. Many Italian horn players followed his example, and now it’s an Italian thing.
Thanks Norman for keeping us abreast of the new female hornists.
And exactly why does her image have to be sexualized? Do artist managers have ANY clue that classical enthusiasts, 95 percent of whom are gay males, don’t care? It just makes me sad.
Women outnumber men at classical music concerts.
….maybe 95% of them are gay too?
Are you saying gay men cannot appreciate the beauty of the female form?
I think 95% of opera aficionados are gay, less for instrumental music. I am a hetero and don’t understand ths high gayosity in the arts.
This certainly didn’t happen in the last fortnight. In fact, it is very old news. Her appointment was announced in October 2023, and she started in the position in January.
It’s news for SD readers. Both Serena and Maria began work in about the last three weeks even if the auditions might have been earlier.
My wife, Abbie Conant, was first trombone of the Teatro Regio in the 1979/80 season. This year Maria became the first woman brass player with a regular permanent contract since then, a gap of 45 years.
That’s true but there are many factors to be considered. When I was studying, in the late 80s, I think there was only one girl in a class of around 10/12 horn students. This was more or less the same ratio in all the different groups (from chamber to orchestra, none professional though) I have played until 2005, at least. Things may have changed with the new ‘generation’.
So Turin can pick a principal player on the day of the audition, but British orchestras don’t have it in them to evolve past the needlessly long and tiresome YEARS of trials?
The NYPO hasn’t been able to appoint a principal horn for YEARS now…………..
But I think the system is completely different. In Italy members of an orchestra like that of teatro Regio on in Genoca (financedd by the State) are civil servants, whereas as far as I understand in the UK most playrs are freelancers? There may be a trial period also in Italy, though, but I am not sure how long it lasts.
Fyi Chicago’s 1st horn David Cooper moved to L.A. to play 2nd horn. Why would he do such thing?
Cooper is associate principal at LA, not 2nd; there’s a big distinction. He wasn’t awarded tenure in Chicago or Berlin, and his previous position in Dallas presumably couldn’t be held for him for years while he was trialing elsewhere. He needed a job and that’s the audition he won.