Geez, I step away from covering classical music for a few months, and things decide to go crazy!

First, in early February, Gustavo Dudamel announced that at the end of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2025-2026 season, he’d decamp for that “other” Philharmonic in New York.

Then, last month, LA Phil CEO Chad Smith made his own surprising announcement that he’d be leaving the orchestra to take the top administrative job at the Boston Symphony effective Fall 2023. While his career at the LA Phil began at 2002, he took over the helm of the orchestra in 2019 after the aborted tenure of Simon Woods, beating out Gail Samuel, the LA Phil’s COO at the time.

Somewhat ironically, Mr. Smith takes over the BSO leadership from Ms. Samuel herself, who joined Boston in 2021 only to resign effective January 2023.

So many questions coming out of all of this, most pointedly:

• Who will be taking over for Messers. Dudamel and Smith?
• How will the LA Phil conduct a Music Director search without a CEO?

I have thoughts and predictions, yet these and other related questions will have to be answered on another day because they require more time and space to cover in the required detail.

So instead, let’s chat about other things, starting with how the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), and the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) find themselves in a potential tussle for four front desk players. Allow me to explain . . .

The Los Angeles Philharmonic has been without an Associate Principal Horn since 2020 when Jaclyn Rainey left to become Principal Horn of the Atlanta Symphony. Since then, the orchestra’s third horn, Amy Jo Rhine, has spent most of the time as acting Associate Principal, with noteworthy guests filling the first chair from time to time as well.

Last week, the LA Phil held auditions for the position, and according to multiple reliable sources, the winner was David Cooper.

This is a big deal. Not since Burt Hara joined the clarinet section a decade ago has a player with this impressive of a resume joined the orchestra as an Associate Principal.

• Mr. Cooper is currently Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony, a job he’s held since 2019 when he filled the extended vacancy after the retirement of the legendary Dale Clevenger; however, in a move that surprised most observers, he was apparently denied tenure by that orchestra earlier this year.
• Prior to that, he spent one year as Principal Horn of the Berlin Philharmonic 2017 to 2018.
• Before Berlin, he was with the Dallas Symphony, joining as Third Horn in 2011 before being promoted to Principal Horn in 2013.

When he was still Principal Horn of Dallas, I had the chance to hear him playing first chair with the LA Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and he sounded phenomenal, his tone fitting the section and the orchestra like a glove. With no disrespect intended towards Ms. Rainey or Ms. Rhine who are both excellent players in their own right, Mr. Cooper would make the strong horn section even better.

All that said, it’s not clear he’ll take the job. The most likely reason for that is because the SFS is in the middle of auditions to fill their open Principal Horn job, and finals are scheduled for Monday July 3rd. There was only one unconfirmed report that he was tossing his hat in the ring for that chair, but it makes sense given his background.

Who might Mr. Cooper’s competition be in the Bay Area? If I were a betting man (and I am), I’d say Mark Almond, current SFS Associate Principal horn — not to mention medical doctor and PhD immunologist/virologist with advanced degrees from Cambridge, Oxford, and Imperial College London (really). But even he may not take the job if offered. Since Mr., er, Dr. Almond clearly has tons of free time on his hands, multiple reliable sources state that he took the audition and was the only player to be awarded a trial for, of all things, Mr. Cooper’s old job at the Chicago Symphony.

It’s a small world.

But wait, there’s more.

Dr. Almond isn’t the only principal musician who may head to the Windy City. The CSO also held open auditions for Principal Viola, and two finalists were awarded trials with the orchestra, one of whom reportedly is . . . . the LA Phil’s own Principal Viola, Teng Li.

Yikes.

Ms. Li has been a phenomenal member of the orchestra since joining in 2018 from the Toronto Symphony. Maybe she misses the cold weather? I haven’t tried reaching out to her yet, but hoping this turns out as well for the SoCal band as when a different LA Phil principal pondered trading DTLA’s Walt Disney Concert Hall for Chicago’s Orchestra Hall before re-committing to LA.

Oh, and the other violist getting a trial in Chicago? One unconfirmed but historically reliable source points to Jonathan Vinocour, SFS Principal Viola.

I say again . . . it’s a small world.

Ben Ullery gets promoted to Associate Principal Viola

While we’re on the topic of violists . . .

Last summer, the LA Phil’s longtime Associate Principal Viola, Dale Hikawa Silverman, retired with no notice and no fanfare — which is exactly how she wanted it, turning down offers by the orchestra to fête her on stage. In doing so, she even surprised most of her orchestral colleagues by the suddenness of her departure.

Ms. Hikawa Silverman was first hired into the LA Phil as a violinist in 1979 by then Music Director Carlo Maria Giulini. A few years later, she found “genuine happiness playing the viola” (according to a previous bio she wrote) and joined the viola section, getting promoted to Associate Principal the year after that and keeping the job for four decades. In addition, she served extended tenures as acting principal twice, first for almost ten years during the interregnum between principals Evan Wilson and Carrie Dennis, and again in 2017 after Ms. Dennis’s departure and Ms. Li’s arrival.

Earlier this year, the orchestra held open auditions to find her replacement, and they didn’t have to look far. The winner was Ben Ullery, the LA Phil’s Assistant Principal Viola.

Mr. Ullery is a native of St. Paul, Minnesota. He joined the orchestra in 2011 and was promoted to Assistant Principal the following year. In addition to winning the LA Phil audition, multiple sources indicated that he had been in the running for principal chairs in other prominent orchestras; however, it looks like he’ll stay in Southern California, at least for now. By May, he had already listed his promotion on his bio and the LA Phil’s online roster showed it too.

Taylor Eiffert named as new LA Phil Bass Clarinet

Unlike Ms. Hikawa Silverman, LA Phil Bass Clarinet David Howard’s retirement was known in advance and acknowledged publicly. Mr. Dudamel gave the veteran musician a big hug after their last performance together on Act III of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde last December, and Mr. Howard returned in January to wrap things up. I hope retirement life has been treating him well since then.

His legacy with the orchestra will continue despite his absence. Taking over his chair in the LA Phil will be Taylor Eiffert, a USC Thornton alum who studied with Mr. Howard and Yehuda Gilad forgrad school. Mr. Eiffert has been bass clarinet with the Milwaukee Symphony and the Santa Fe Opera; before that, he was 2nd Clarinet with the Winnipeg Symphony. The Dallas native did his undergraduate work at Northwestern’s Bienen School of Music.

Other quick updates

• Happy to report that Marc Lachat has been awarded tenure as Principal Oboe of the LA Phil. He sounded excellent every time I heard him last season, with his chamber music performance with the other wind principals in October being particularly awesome. Congratulations to him. I hope to hear him play for many years to come.
• Benjamin Smolen, Principal Flute of the Pacific Symphony, has added a new gig: Principal Flute of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He joined the Orange County orchestra in 2011, providing a decade-plus of a stability after the three previous musicians filled then quickly vacated the chair in rapid succession. LACO and their Music Director, Jaime Martin, chose him after open auditions and a trial week this past season. Look forward to seeing him in action between Principal Oboe Claire Brazeau and 2nd flute Sandy Hughes.
• More flute news: Lisa Hirsch (aka Iron Tongue of Midnight) talks about the likely finalists for the SFS Principal Flute HERE.

RELATED POSTS

• Marc Lachat will be the next LA Phil Principal Oboe (June 7, 2022)
• Comings and goings at the LA Phil (Spring 2022 edition, part 2 of 2): Principal Oboe candidates — and a bold prediction or two (May 22, 2022)
• Comings and goings at the LA Phil (Spring 2022 edition, part 1 of 2): five empty chairs filled, including new Tuba and Associate Principal Bass (May 20, 2022)
• Comings and goings at the LA Phil (Summer 2017 edition): Details on Ghez, Dennis, Hooten, and others (UPDATED) (September 5, 2017)

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Photo credits:

• David Cooper: photo by Todd Rosenberg Photography
• Mark Almond: photo by Kira Doherty
• Teng Li: photo by Mathew Imaging
• Jonathan Vinocour: photo by Anastasia Chernyavsky courtesy of the Seattle Chamber Music Society
• Dale Hikawa Silverman: photo by Mathew Imaging
• Ben Ullery: courtesy of the artist’s website
• David Howard: photo by Mathew Imaging
• Taylor Eiffert: courtesy of the Winnipeg Symphony