Boston has new principal flute
OrchestrasWe reported three and a half months ago that the Boston Symphony’s audition for principal flute had been won by the person holding that seat in ‘the nearest major East Coast orchestra’.
Today, Lorna McGhee of the Pittsburgh Symphony was confirmed in that position.
Also new in Boston are Josh Baker as associate principal bassoon and Toby Grace as section percussionist.
Pittsburgh? So did they find someone else, or did they demote the NY Phil from its status as a major orchestra?
Boston is 200 miles from New York City. 300 miles from Philadelphia. 400 from Baltimore. 450 from Washington DC.
Pittsburgh? 570 miles.
So it’s definitely not the “nearest major East Coast orchestra,” which would be the NY Phil. Norman needs to work on his American geography.
Maybe this will help…
Boston to New York is London to Liverpool.
Boston to Pittsburgh is London to Inverness.
And Pittsburgh is as much of as coastal city as Birmingham.
I really hope it was a troll, though.
and the 3 major Canadian orchestras are closer to Boston and more eastern as well.
Weird that Norman would a) frame it this way to begin with, as if there was some significance to the geography, and b) double down 3 months later.
Has anyone noticed that “nearest major East Coast orchestra” in the article is in quote marks, which strongly suggests that Norman is merely quoting something said by somebody else.
So what is the benefit of quoting or reposting nonsense?
Lucky Boston but I fear now a lot of Pittsburgh, because they have a bit sad history (kind similar like LA Phil flutes had between 2006-2015) in their flute section. When Robert Langevin moved to New York from Pittsburgh (in 2000) the principal flute chair was 12 years vacant / without permanent holder until Lorna arrived in 2012. Two years later the associate principal flute Damian Bursill-Hall retired and it took 8 years when they find Austin Brown to his successor in 2022. And now again / two years later Lorna is moving to Boston and because Pittsburgh = long searches -> only God knows how many years it will take when they will find new principal + flute section would be complete again. Hopely things would be going fine and Pittsburgh can enjoy a long live permanent full flute section in future.
When I see orchestras with long vacancies, I think the Musicians union needs to start investigating their audition practices. The auditionees are union members and should also have some protection if the orchestra is doing rhetorical auditions, or they want to show how tough they are that even Jesus H. Christ isn’t good enough to play in our orchestra.
There are a million flute players in this country. What is the holdup?
How much they pay her?
None of your business.
it’s a nonprofit the public has the right to know.
You guys are mis-reading “nearest”, Norman does not mean “closest in distance”, but “closest in resemblance or likeness” as in “nearly” or “almost”: Pittsburgh is not the Big Seven, but it is “nearly” a Big Seven, the “nearest” one to a Big Seven there is, and since it resembles less the Big Seven of the West Coast and Midwest, but resembles closest to the Big Seven of the East Coast, ergo, ‘the nearest (or the most almost) major East Coast orchestra’
; )
What???
Even if that were so, Pittsburgh is not on the east coast – it’s 300 miles inland – the same distance as Dover is from Cornwall.
Despite the distance, the Pittsburgh Symphony is considered to be an East Coast Orchestra. Essentially because her state has a coastline with the Atlantic Ocean. The Buffalo Philharmonic in New York State also is considered to be an East Coast Orchestra for the same reason, some 923 miles to the New York coast line with the Atlantic Ocean.
Yet they still can’t find a concertmaster. No one is good enough for this amazing amazing orchestra and their amazing amazing music director.
Wrong. They hired a concertmaster.
WHO? Spill the beans.
David McCarroll. It’s no big secret. He’s on their website.
He’s talking about the Boston Symphony
C foot?
Yes, she plays a C foot Altus AL
I’m sure she has several Flutes,
for every occasion!
Major WIBB students have tie ups with Altus.
Yes, don’t forget some of the very best past and present flute players play a c foot.
No offense intended friend but I think we need to mail you a map.
You guys cut Norman some slack it’s been so long since the Boston Tea Party he can’t remember.
So depressing for Pittsburgh. They’ll never fill this spot. The recent hire in the assistant spot was not given tenure and the person before that wasn’t given tenure and then got a job in Philly!!
Brown did not get tenure?!
Congratulations to her. But despite longstanding efforts to shed the notion of a “Big 5,” a move from the fabulous Pittsburgh Symphony to Boston does suggest that the perception remains alive and well. I haven’t been to Pittsburgh, though Boston is a great town, the orchestra has an amazing history and arguably the greatest hall in the world, so I see the rationale behind such a move.
Less talk about geography and more talk about the fact Lorna is one of THE world’s best Principal flute players. Totally deserved appointment. Boston are very lucky to have her!
Totally! Her tone and phrasings is out of this world. Would love to hear her in upcoming recordings with BSO.
Bravissimo tutti!
I enjoy your blog.
Excelent!!! Best regards for musicians!!!
Boston had a storied reputation of superb, first desk virtuoso flautists. Georges Laurent in 1921 remained in Boston after a Conservatoire Concerts tour, hired by Pierre Monteux he was considered the finest orchestral flautist in the country. When he retired in 1952, Doriot Dwyer carried his mantel forward until her retirement in 1989. She too was considered the finest orchestral flautist in the United States and many great composers wrote works for her. The orchestra had a string of first desk flautists until Elizabeth Rowe filled the chair and brought the excellence back, but left the orchestra in 2019 after the settlement in court of a gender discrimination suit. One hopes Ms. McGhee is treated fairly and bring excellence back to the post.
Again, commenters here not failing to impress by talking about irrelevant things rather than congratulating these three wonderful musicians for their achievement. Bravo.