Just in: Berlin Philharmonic confirms its first Chinese player
NewsThe orchestra today granted tenure, after two years’ probation, to a new principal viola, Diyang Mei.
Mei, 29, is the first Chinese national in Germany’s flagship orchestra.
Winner of the 2018 ARD Competition, he was swiftly hired as principal viola of the Munich Philharmonic.
He said today: ‘A big thank you to all my wonderful colleagues, looking forward to further cooperation and many great concerts.’
Over to you, Vienna Philharmonic. This is how orchestra evolve.
Correction: orchestras evolve.
Or, you could say, an orchestra evolves.
That’s proper syntax in the subject-verb agreement.
Vienna Phil is the marmite of orchestras. I pity the Viennese who have so few options and must endure the A446.
Let the white, male supremacists enjoy their adolescent-esque club while the rest of us bask in the warmth of the world’s great orchestras.
Almost right but not exactly. Diyang Mei won the audition in February 2022 but started working later in October.
So his trial period was actually 1,5 years which has recent years become quite common time to pass trial. In Berlin Phil the trial period is officially (on paper) 2 years but it can be shorter, like e.g. Andrej Zust had one year. But congrats to him and glad that vacant post since 2018 (vacated by Máté Szücs) is again filled and fully tenured.
The hugely talented horn player Yun Zeng has just begun his trial period on solo horn, so hopefully there will soon be two Chinese nationals in the Berlin Phil….
I’ve understand that he will start his trial period in autumn. And the Facebook page of Hornisten der Berliner Philharmoniker has always publishee a post when someone will join to their group and at the moment there’s nothing like that. I believe that Yun will propably guesting in this spring until he start officially.
He just played his first official concert in last week‘s subscription concert, with Hannu Lintu. From a person who talked to him directly after the concert. He is an extremely friendly and down to earth human being as well, blew me away by his fluent German, which he has only learned for about a year, which I was mesmerized by as a foreigner myself.
I heard from other sources that his audition was quite a unanimous choice—he will do wonders.
Oh, quite interesting because recently Paula Ernesaks told me that he will start officially in autumn / next season so I prefer believing her + also website by Brass Academy Alicante
Fantastic player. What an amazing roster of solo violists this great orchestra has.
His instrument looks like a Poggi just from that angle view.
A lively addition to the viola section, always a pleasure to see him in action.
Many will argue that ‘DEI’ hires are ruining the unique sounds of orchestras. Compare old recordings with today and see if you can tell the different orchestras.
Sadly it’s no use resisting the global trend and cultural shift. It will happen whether one likes it or not. In Vienna last time I even saw a few new Chinese restaurants!
That orchestras sound the same has been a trope for the last 40 years. Probably longer. 40 years ago was when I was just learning to play in an orchestra. Back then the reason given was that students could travel internationally to study. Local players did not necessarily train their local replacements.
These people are hired on merit, which DEI critics often claim is being made secondary. The reason orchestras are no longer predominantly white and male is because most auditions occur behind screens (not in Berlin, though), and they hire the person who sounds best to them. And now when that person ISN’T white and male, please grouse about DEI. Damned if you don’t, damned if you do.
And BTW, the standard of playing is so high now that pretty much every orchestra is far better today than it was during one’s idealized youth. Even Chicago, even Berlin.
From my perspective as an orchestral musician with parents who were also in the profession, orchestral players are generally stronger across the board but there are not many good conductors around anymore.
Oh btw, Berlin is not only orchestra who has added new principal viola – London Symphony and Bavarian radio has also appointed new (1st) principal violas. In both cases there was long period (8 and 6 years) when positions has been unfilled. And earlier in this year Vienna Phil also find new principal viola (Gerhard Marscher’s spot)
Berlin had a Japanese first violin under Karajan and also under Rattle so it’s nothing new in that city. Why the big fuss with the Chinese guy?
What’s the fuss? An update on SD?
I guess you think that there is no difference between Chinese and Japanese people?
https://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/news/detail/new-principal-horn-yun-zeng/