Chicago principal to retire after 63 years
UncategorizedWe understand that principal trombone Jay Friedman will retired from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in September 2025. He may well be currently the longest serving principal player in any leading orchestra worldwide.
Auditions have been announced for his position.
From his CSO CV:
Jay Friedman joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as assistant principal trombone in 1962 under Fritz Reiner and was appointed principal in 1965 by Jean Martinon. He attended Yale University on a scholarship and later majored in composition at Roosevelt University. He was soloist with the CSO on several occasions, in 1969 with Bloch’s Symphony for Trombone and Orchestra and Creston’s Fantasy for Trombone and Orchestra in 1976 with Sir Georg Solti conducting. In 1991, he performed the world premiere with Solti and the CSO of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Trombone Concerto, written especially for him. In 2018, Friedman with his section gave world premiere performances of Jennifer Higdon’s Low Brass Concerto with Riccardo Muti at Orchestra Hall and Carnegie Hall.
An active conductor, Friedman was named music director of the Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest in 1995. In 2010, Friedman conducted Mahler’s Eighth Symphony (Symphony of a Thousand) at Symphony Center. At the invitation of Riccardo Muti, he conducted Glière’s monumental 3rd Symphony in 2016 with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and in 2017 Mozart’s Haffner Symphony and Bruckner’s 7th Symphony.
Photo: Todd Rosenberg/CSO
boomer greed. let someone else have a chance 63 years?!? this is worse than Fielder.
boomer greed?! he’s an incredibly talented musician who still has his chops. so his longevity is at once irrelevant and admirable. bravo. and, by the way, it’s fiedler.
Right, but conductors are just warming up in their 80s. Fiedler was a kick in his old age.
@Ripmobile! Love the Name ~ I was Arthur Fiedler’s “Violin Khachaturian Lady” from the time of our first conductor/soloist Aram Khachaturian collaboration in Upstate New York, following all five performances, w/Fiedler a bit on the whisky inbetween my Encore’s if asked, swigging it off stage telling me “go play an Encore!!”, but a truly okay with it Conductor – Assist minus much ego wishing to honour the Score of this exotic and superb Composer’s Violin Concerto which I so loved and still Love! Your words, “Fiedler was a kick in his old age,” certainly resonate with me, his nicknamed, “Khachaturian Lady” and whom he often invited to Tour the US with and to even feited Iowa and to accompany him on his adored Fire Engines being an Honourary Fire Chief of many major US Cities wherever he performed and sitting in the Front of the Syracuse, NY, Fire Truck with boyish delight & insisting I join him!!! I even have the Fire Chief Cap gifted to Maestro Fiedler to this writing on my Front Door and adore seeing it! Thank You for your truly kind and truthful account of a not appreciated as he should be soloist-friendly Conductor, Arthur Fiedler of the Boston Pops he Founded and made famous here in America and Abroad … Best Wishes from the USA ~ Violinist, Elisabeth Matesky/ Chicago! 5.8.2024
Born 1939. Not a boomer, smart guy. I take your point about some people not being able to give up the glory, though.
Judging from your ratings, I think it’s time to retire from commenting.
There’s a bit of a Ruth Bader Ginsberg syndrome about him hanging on so long. Not to discount his laudable achievements from the 1960s to early 2000s, the last decade or so has been increasingly rough for the CSO trombones. Mick Mulcahy has basically held things together as best he can. But, he’s one out of three on most nights…
Nonsense as the CSO low brass section is on top of things at all times. Each player a genius.
uhh … no. Please see an ear doctor, for your own good.
It’s no dig on their musicianship. Players’ skills and muscle memory deteriorate over time, including brass players’ embouchures. Muscles aren’t concerned with genius.
Exactly Carl. He is 85 years old! This retirement should have at least happened 15 years ago but prob more like 20.
Completely inappropriate comment
Not fair. The guy is the real deal, and an excellent conductor to boot.
Hands down the funniest thing I’ve ever read oh lord
Your obnoxiousness is exceeded only by your ignorance. At age 85, he’s too old to be a boomer.
…and at 85 defintely to old to playing principal trombone in the CSO. Embarassing.
He was born in 1939; he is not a ‘boomer’. But hey, any chance to show how correct-thinking you are, right? I presume you’ve submitted your CV for an audition, since you are so expert on the trombone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aybciEDiUck
Tenure has only nefarious consequences.
If, arguably, in academia and in the judiciary, tenure is needed for the sake of independence and objectivity of thought, why on earth do we need tenure for … orchestra players???
Good riddance. And I’ve said enough.
Jay is not a boomer. He was born in 1939.
The gold standard of symphonic trombone playing for decades. Member of the most celebrated brass section in modern history.
Yet the LSO is actively pushing their older members out as they don’t meet the criteria of young and Insta worthy. Watch this space.
Friedman’s level has dropped significantly over the last 8-10 years, first it was just sort of in the range of “it’s not what it used to be” but ever since the orchestra came back after the pandemic, it’s been borderline unacceptable. It’s no secret that Muti did not allow him to go on the last European tour. There is such a thing as leaving at the right time in the performance field, especially when you’re 82 and playing trombone. Despite some beautiful but very distant memories, all I can say now is that the recent years have completely tainted my view of him and I am glad this has finally come to pass. I will hope that Vernon will follow suit very soon.
In Britain, older players are not respected unlike the Chicago ones. There is a cull in the London orchestras, to be more media friendly, with the appearance of youth and beauty. To be older is now a sin! The LSO has requested all older players be assessed. Best kept secret and the profession is running scared. True.
Dear Peter ~ As a former Member of Solti’s CSO, and a violin soloist having made a formal Debut in Violin in your London Wigmore Hall and later re-invited as a pupil of Jascha Heifetz (our Films are on YouTube) and later, of the renowned Nathan Milstein, privately, only peer of Heifetz, I am truly upset to read yet your truth, I am sure, for one wouldn’t write this on the fine and globally respected Website of Norman Lebrecht, without factual knowledge & also observed for quite a while … Yes, our Chicago Symphony Orchestra has Always honored Talent and abilities to chamber-ensemble-make Music under many Guest Conductors and for heralded Music Director’s who did not even know of DEI, {which may now well throw many of the Grandest Symphony Orchestras if left to this craziness}, over & off to the Ash Heaps of Music History or as we, alive and been around the block well know, as Mr. Heifetz told we 7 original pupils of his First Jascha Heifetz Violin Master Class: Quote, JH ~ “Students, there are No Shortcuts!” And it is true and more so Today when reading your Reply re more and more ‘pretty’ (my word) musicians being hired for media looks, rather than artful thoroughly ready to play major Masterworks of Titan’s of Music Composer Scores, Musicians who have Earned the positions in orchestras as The Big Five in London, RPO, LSO, LPO, The Philharmonia, BBC – other grand Orchestras not mentioned due lack of space, but in my country, America, any hint of this pushes most Great Maestro’s who would be considered for the Prime Post of Music Director/Conductor of any of the major 7 American Orchestras, Must be Ready to Lead the greatest orchestral musicians alive and more recently deleting any political considerations. Thank You for pointing this new to me Truth for it’s a serious change in perception and of Music Ed now, I gather, being demanded in even the finest of the London Music Conservatories and University Music Departments over here (somewhat) which for those of our Baby Boomer Generation do not subscribe to and Never Will … Warm greetings from America ~ Elisabeth Matesky (look me up but quoting my 2nd gloried violin mentor, Nathan Milstein, “Never believe all you read in Newspapers or other publications!” I am grateful to Norman Lebrecht for allowing people to actually reply to comments here! TY, NL! EM/US
Awesome, simply awesome, Mr.Friedman!
Is he the last Reiner appointment?
There is Lynn Turner of the harp section.
Reiner chose their harpist Lynne Turner the same year as Friedman.
Nope. Lynne Turner, 2nd harp was appointed in 1962 under Reiner.
Friedman was appointed assistant in 62 .
@George Young ~ Lynne Turner, daughter of Sol Turner, a CSO Second Violinist, was a perfect 2nd
Harp counterpart to Principle Harp, Ed Druzinsky, whom I was close to and w/both Harpists! In NYC,
playing Carnegie Hall under Solti, we had a whole afternoon off after rehearsal and Lynne Turner & I
went off the Henri Bendel’s buying shoes to then
grab a NYC Taxi to ’21’, fabled Club of Toots Shore,
a Legend in Manhattan, who jumped in the same
Taxi with us, and when finding out we were from
Chicago in the Solti/CSO, invited us to his Club & for dinner ‘on the house’ going there after our CH rather ‘rave’ concert with New Yorker’s reigning a
lot of confetti down on all of us! When we got to
Toots Shore’s 21 Club, we were treated as Rock Stars which was ‘cool’ and were sudden friends of the legendary Toots Shore at that time! Lynne is still residing in a posh suburb of Chicago, and I’ll enjoy ringing her to advise her name is being talked about on no less than Norman Lebrecht’s eminent Slipped Disc website, in tandem with the forthcoming retirement of fabled CSO Colleague of ours, Jay Friedman, Trombonist Prime ~ TY for the accurate Information on Lynne Turner’s hiring! Colleague/friend of Lynne Turner … CSO Violinist, Elisabeth Matesky/ Chicago ~ 5th August, 2024
Good run…
About time. And if you disagree, you haven’t attended CSO concerts for at least the last 10 years
It is fair to say that Jay Friedman is one of the greatest exponents of the trombone to have lived. To have held an orchestral chair for over sixty years with distinction is a tremendous credit to Mr Friedman and to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I hope he enjoys a long and well deserved retirement.
In Dixieland bands, 85 is “just getting started” for the trombone player but it is extraordinary for an orchestral principal brass player to keep it together for so long and play at the required high level.
I hope he has many years of productive teaching ahead of him.
All I can add is Wow!! What a distinguished career. Ad multos annos in a happy retirement. I will continue to hear you on multiple recordings that I own.
Congratulations on an amazing career…carried forth the Great Chicago sound…so many great performances and recordings…I was an orchestra principal for 36 years…63 years!! I can’t imagine….Bravo!!
With that kind of career he will stay in history! Huge respect!
Bravo to Maestro Friedman . . .Time to celebrate his legacy by listening to his work in the first movement of the Solti Mahler 3rd
It gives me goosebumps to know that I’ve heard perform live someone who played under Stravinsky; I’m not sure but he may have performed under Pierre Monteux as well, who knew Brahms and Saint-Säens
I find it interesting that Jay Friedman became a proponent of the German trombone in the last decade or so. In fact that’s a German trombone he’s holding in the photo above. They’re generally not used in American orchestras, much less popular. This is after years of American made trombones dominating overseas as well. It has nothing to do with declining chops or muscle memory. Instead, it has everything to do with tonal concept. There’s an interesting story about just that, involving Solti . . . . At some point in the late 1960’s or early ’70s, Solti sent Friedman over to Paris to help ‘straighten out’ the trombone section in the Orchestre de Paris. When Friedman returned, he allegedly said something along the line of, “they should be teaching us!”.
I’ve known Jay Friedman since meeting after my many hours CSO for Sir Georg Solti Audition & for Co Concertmaster early
on and soon following this, re-invited to audition again by ‘Radi’
Lah, Personnel Manager still playing-working as Soloist/Leader of the then titled Syracuse Symphony in Upstate New York, and finally coming to Chicago to do so, and a long chat w/Solti who did engage me with a ‘carte blanche’ Contract allowing me to further fulfill pre-scheduled violin soloist with major orchestra abroad concerts … Once in Solti’s CSO, I found many Brass players to be warm and welcoming with Jay Friedman, a lovely colleague & I am saddened to learn he will retire & with great Honour I am sure, due to his extraordinary Service to the CSO and Music in other parts of “Chicagoland” via his Conducting the Oak Park-River Forest Symphony, Founded by CSO Violin Colleague, late Perry Crafton, and upon Perry’s retirement, Jay Friedman then invited to conduct this very highly esteemed suburban orchestra! A reason for knowing a bit about this is having been engaged by Perry Crafton to perform both Aram Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto & Wieniawski Violin Concerto in the same concert a while ago. I’ve a warmed heart for this Orchestra w/hopes Jay Friedman will continue Conducting the fine Orchestra after retiring from his Principle Chair Trombone of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with a Tusch from ‘CSO Brass’!!!!!! Salude dear Jay ~ former CSO Violin Elisabeth ‘M’ 5.8.2024
An Addendum ~ It would be lovely if CSO Pianist, Mary Sauer, who held this position for 57 Years under Conductor’s of CSO & including Martinon; Sir Georg Solti; Daniel Barenboim & Ricardo Muti, retired only a few years prior, and with the rare distinction having been at that time, in the service of the CSO for well over half a Century!!! I know ‘our’ Mary Sauer was a loving colleague of Jay Friedman, and it seemed appropriate to mention Mary Sauer’s long service to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra also while celebrating the even longer tenure of Jay Friedman whom
I’m sure will be glad sharing touches of fame with ‘our’ Mary ‘S’! August 5, 2024 ~ Chicago {former CSO Violin, Elisabeth ‘M’}
Salute, sir. A true legend.
Hey – I’m still going!
I didn’t know the Crypt Keeper played trombone. Good grief!