Has anyone heard if they chose someone?

I think today, Monday, 5/20, was the first day of preliminaries.

Word on the street is that Mathieu Dufour was offered the position.

Yes, it's true! I talked with a member of the committee and Mathieu was offered the job and does want to take it.

Imagine that. An open audition, a principal position offered on the spot. I guess that next there will be pigs flying through the air. Then again, it has been really windy here today.

that's interesting... any reason why he's leaving Chicago??? & any word on who the other finalists were, but only if they feel like being known of course? i'm also curious whether or not they were already invited or if everyone had to go thru the whole process

I heard there were 4 people advanced to the final round from the earlier rounds. Matheiu was pre-advanced to the finals, from what I understand, but I'm pretty sure there was at least one screened round in the finals. But, I wasn't there, so maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

The first round of finals is screened. There is a vote and those with the requisite number of votes to go on play their second round without the screen.

quote:

Originally posted by orchdork:
that's interesting... any reason why he's leaving Chicago??? & any word on who the other finalists were, but only if they feel like being known of course? i'm also curious whether or not they were already invited or if everyone had to go thru the whole process

If I were Dufour, I'd personally want to move someplace warmer and sunnier.

Hey...who wouldn't want to move up from the Chicago S.O. to the LA Phil?

I'm actually quite impressed if Dufour deigned to participate in any kind of competitive audition, as opposed to being invited in for a trial. I certainly would have no objection if in a case like this an orchestra decides to offer the job to a well-known eminence such as him - and then dispenses with the rest of the audition.

quote:

Originally posted by OSF:
I'm actually quite impressed if Dufour deigned to participate in any kind of competitive audition, as opposed to being invited in for a trial. . . .

I guess he really, really wanted the job, and was willing to go through the process

A little more speculation: Perhaps, in addition to the appeal of the position/orchestra/city/Disney Hall/weather, the opportunity to influence the future choice of the soon-to-be-open Assoc. Principal chair added to the list of reasons for wanting the job.

BTW: Wasn't there an audition a few months ago for the Assistant Princ. Horn chair that Robert Watt vacated when he retired? If so, who won?

Regarding the assistant horn situation in LA. At the audition last October two people were chosen for trial weeks to be held in April and May. Those should be completed now but I don't know if someone was offered a position or not. Since I haven't heard a final result I won't say who those two individuals were. Any news?

quote:

Originally posted by OSF:
I'm actually quite impressed if Dufour deigned to participate in any kind of competitive audition, as opposed to being invited in for a trial.

I also heard that he tendered his resignation from Chicago before the LA audition - if true that's some major cahones...

OK, so maybe it's not quite like A-Rod declaring free agency, but you'd think that if Dufour resigned from the CSO, it would have resulted in some news reports, at least on a music-related website, like, uh, I don't know...MY AUDITIONS? :---). Or perhaps a CSO press announcement? If Charles is correct, remarkable how non-headline making the orchestra biz seems to regard itself.

Stop speculating - I know for a fact that DuFour did NOT resign from the CSO before the audition - but most of the musicians in the orchestra did know that he was taking the audition.

I don't think it was any secret that Mathieu was going to take the audition here. I hadn't heard anything about a resignation prior to his coming here for the audition.

Ethan Bearman won the job as Asst. Principal Horn.