Major loss for the Met as star clarinet walks out
mainThe New York Philharmonic has offered its vacant principal clarinet seat to Anthony McGill, a luminous personality at the Metropolitan Orchestra who has played as a soloist at the White House and other high places. Brian Wise reports on WQXR that Anthony has accepted the NY Phil seat, held by Stanley Drucker from 1948 to 2009.
His departure will deliver a significant blow to morale at the Met and to Peter Gelb’s bid to hold onto talent while cutting the wage bill.
The NY Phil also just hired MET principal bass Timothy Cobb.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/15/arts/music/philharmonic-faces-critical-choices-as-key-players-depart.html?emc=edit_th_20140515&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=197426
I heard McGill play with the NYP last year in a program which included Night on the Bare Mountain and Scheherazade. His playing was really fabulous, beautiful mellow and luminous sound and highly nuanced, detailed phrasing.
Anthony McGill is a great artist of supreme mastery. I have had the illuminating experience of hearing him live as a soloist . I remember Marcellus in Cleveland, and Wright in Boston , years ago. McGill takes the craft to a new level. Lynn Harrell