Andrea Götsch was stunned when she received her audition in 2019 that led to membership within the Vienna Philharmonic.
“When I went home, I was just laughing because I couldn’t realize that they had really taken me,” the 29-year-old clarinetist informed The Associated Press. “It was always kind of a dream. As a young child already, I watched the New Year’s concert, but it was never a goal. I thought that was too far away.”
A male bastion from its founding in 1842 till 1997, the Vienna Philharmonic now has 24 feminine gamers amongst 145 members with three vacancies because it excursions the United States this week.
“It’s very positive to me. It’s a completely normal way of us living with each other. And we all have one main goal, to give the best possible concert — and that unifies us,” stated Daniel Froschauer, chairman of the self-governing ensemble. “Look at music schools: There are many more women than men. And we want the best members, so it was the right decision.”
Based since 1870 at Vienna’s Musikverein, the Vienna Philharmonic elects management, engages conductors, chooses applications and schedules excursions and recording classes. It selects members from the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and has had a summer season residency on the Salzburg Festival since 1922.
Harpist Anna Lelkes performed with the Philharmonic for 26 years as a nonmember earlier than she grew to become the primary lady admitted. Albena Danailova grew to become an appearing concertmaster in 2008 and was granted membership in 2010. The 48-year-old had the high-profile place main the strings in Sunday’s efficiency of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony with conductor Franz Welser-Möst at Carnegie Hall.
VPO ladies embody 14 violins, two violas, two cellos, one double bass, two harps, one flute, one clarinet and one bassoon.
The Berlin Philharmonic, extensively thought-about Europe’s different nice orchestra, admitted Swiss violinist Madeleine Carruzzo as its first feminine in 1982 and at present has 26 ladies, 99 males and 5 vacancies.
The New York Philharmonic’s first feminine musician was harpist Stephanie “Steffy” Goldner in 1922 and it now has 49 males and 45 ladies with 12 vacancies. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra made principal horn Helen Kotas its first rostered feminine in 1941 and began this season with 59 males, 34 ladies and 15 openings.
Froschauer, a primary violinist who has been a VPO member since 1998, was elected chairman in 2017. He stated about 100 folks apply for every open place within the State Opera Orchestra and 1 / 4 are given auditions behind screens for a jury of roughly two dozen. They play items chosen by the jury head and are graded, with 20 factors probably the most. Those with 11 factors or extra advance, and after the second spherical the sector is minimize to 5, then culled additional for the ultimate spherical.
“A jury member has to say, ‘I’d like to ask to remove the screen,’” Froschauer said. “All the points are cumulative and usually there is one person who has a certain amount. There’s no more screen and sometimes there’s three ladies and sometimes there’s three guys. Sometimes it’s a mix. But the most important thing is what are the points?”
Winners get a one-to-two 12 months trial with the State Opera Orchestra, after which an individual will likely be thought-about for admission. After two extra years, they will apply for membership to the Philharmonic.
Harpist Anneleen Lenaerts, 36, utilized for a gap on the suggestion of a good friend, Xavier de Maistre, who left the Philharmonic for a solo cello profession. She took a flight from Brussels simply earlier than Christmas for a pre-audition after which the primary audition the following day within the Mahler Hall of the State Opera. She was amongst two finalists who waited in an adjoining room whereas the jury deliberated, and so they have been each known as in for the announcement by Michael Bladerer, the double bass who chaired the jury and is now the orchestra’s common supervisor, its No. 2 official.
She debuted at State Opera in Strauss’ “Arabella” with Welser-Möst in 2011 and was admitted to the Philharmonic in 2014, simply its eighth lady.
“I was a freelancer, playing solo and chamber music, which I loved. And I never expected to end up in an orchestra like this,” Lenaerts stated. “It is a different country with a different history, different mentality, different language. All of that was new for me. (…) You just have to prepare as best as you can and then hope that in the pit it will go well. And on top of that, you have the schedule of the Vienna Philharmonic.”
Götsch, the clarinetist from Bolzano, Italy, was known as into the orchestra instead on the suggestion of VPO member Johann Hindler. She started on the opera with Verdi’s “La Traviata” in 2016 and performed with VPO for the primary time a 12 months later in Mahler’s Sixth Symphony with Daniel Harding. She received her audition in 2019.
A 12 months later, she was confirmed for the Opera Orchestra and in 2022 she grew to become a VPO member. Götsch sits on the orchestra’s administration committee with the title Ordnungswahrerin (Order Keeper), the place she retains monitor of attendance at rehearsals and performances and offers with fast personnel modifications.
“Sometimes they get sick an hour before the concert and so they call me and say ‘I cannot play. Can you help?'” she said. “I have to make sure that there are enough people.”
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