LA Phil comings and goings (part 1 of 3): As the Principal Cello chair turns . . .

Peter Stumpf (photo courtesy of Indiana University)

News came today of Peter Stumpf, currently Principal Cello of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and a member of the Johannes String Quartet, accepting a full-time position at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music after having served as adjunct faculty for the past two years, flying back and forth between Los Angeles and Bloomington to fulfill his commitments.  Word on the street is that Stumpf will take a one-year leave from the orchestra for the 2011-2012 season to teach in Indiana (and likely also to spend more time with the Johannes).  It remains unclear what Stumpf will do after this coming season is done.

Stumpf took over the Principal Cello chair from Andrew Shulman.  When Ronald Leonard retired in 1999 after 24 years as Principal Cello with the orchestra, the initial round of auditions to find his successor resulted in no winner, leaving the position vacant for a year.  Shulman, who came to Los Angeles after being Principal with both the Philharmonia and the Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields in London, was then invited by Esa-Pekka Salonen to try out for the LA Phil position.  Shulman’s tenure began with much fanfare, and based on the first few months of concerts, the hoopla seemed justified.  The cellos always played elegantly under Leonard, but under Shulman they seemed to have more presence in the concerts I attended.   Read more of this post