Have you ever been in a classical orchestra or know anyone who has been?

My wife

Yes it pays quite well in Canada: Clarinet

I love the sinuous sound of the clarinet. Thank you for your service, r2.

It pays very well - hundreds of dollars / hour. However, they only work a few hours a month. Rehearsal is not considered work. This is if you are unionized, which most big city orchestras are.

My neighbor is a violinist in a classical orchestra. He must be paid well to live in this neighborhood. He's a doll; we usually mow our lawns on the same day and break with a beer together.

It pays to be unionized.

From 2018. Just base salaries.

R5 is humble-bragging.

Humble? what's humble about it? - what's bragging about it? - he's just saying it like it is.

A friend of mine played in the National Symphony. She loved going on the international tours. Now comfortably retired.

R4 = Eunice Higgins referring to the gazoo band at the Pepperpot Playhouse

Unless you play as a permanent member of a major city orchestra, it can be a little rough—belonging to a number of smaller regionals, driving or busing from town to town, giving private lessons to typically mediocre children. The lucky ones get a university positions, which allow and encourage (sometimes require) instrumental and voice teachers to belong to professional ensembles.

I'm a professional violinist, so ask away.

i missed going to the symphony this past winter/srping

R13, is Mozart in the Jungle an accurate representation of orchestra life?

It’s the most corporate and controlled environment in all of music.

My former neighbor is first chair clarinet in our region's classical orchestra and has been for years. Gets paid well (i don't know how much), seems pretty well off. In his spare time, he does take on students. Leads a pretty happy life.

Even if not, R13, it's a hell of a show.

A "classical orchestra"?

Oh, dear.

And who doesn't know symphony players or members of chamber groups? Where do you people hide out? Behind the walls like mice?

“Why are you wearing a tux?”

“It’s after 6. What am I, a farmer?”

I used to live in a share house with 4 students attending the city Conservatorium. They and all their students were all thin - I could snack when revising statistics, they can’t when practising the trombone. They were nerdy and shy but also quite social and talkative m- you can’t be a complete hermit if you want to play for Barenboim.

Also they got laid a lot. Lots of sex scandals in the music world.

R21 for BARENBOIM?!! 🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮

Is it a respected professional? A lot of moms want their kids to practice violin but would they be happy if they made it their living? What other skills would they have in the job market if this doesn’t work out?

A family member played in the American Ballet orchestra for several years before landing an academic gig.

Yes, I have.

Oboe & English Horn.

Is it like being a MIME?

I’m glad there’s reward for musical artists who slave for years, probably since childhood, practicing endless hours, devoted to making such heavenly sounds.

They deserve every fucking penny.

Every single one.

And that violinist on the left in OP’s photo is very cute, and not wearing a wedding ring!

Imagination abounds!

Yes, my ex is a trombonist in a major orchestra in Canada.

Any stories about gay conductors? :)

I would love to date a professional musician. Being surrounded by well-played live music all day must be heaven.

OT, but I want to say this brings back memories of playing in my school orchestra, where I was the sixth chair flute in a tiny school - yes, sixth, you read it correctly. I think I was only allowed in to make up numbers, and because my teacher felt sorry for me being so pushed. I found it a fun challenge, but honestly very difficult to keep up, and deeply humiliating when I made frequent basic mistakes and was given a cold shoulder by the other better players (my classmates, who didn’t need yet another excuse to bully me).

It’s a pity that my experience was so limited and fraught, as I did used to like rehearsing my usually-boring easy parts as well as simple tunes and jazz licks alone in my bedroom, and even enjoyed playing some of the scores we did in concert. The atmosphere of being in an orchestra was wonderful, when it came time to perform after a lot of work. Unfortunately, I simply wasn’t naturally talented in music, and despite being a high-scoring gifted student in many other areas (drama, literature, humanities) I couldn’t get my head around the classsical canon or anything musically complex, for whatever reason (I also struggle with mathematics and logical problems, maybe it’s connected?).

[quote]Any stories about gay conductors? :)

Go to the current John Mulaney thread, "John Mulaney's Bill Clinton story," and search for "Chip Mulaney."

I had a fuckbuddy who played the bassoon. Maybe the very best kisser I ever encountered. Don't know if that's related. (He also has a perfect cock, but that definitely wasn't related.)

R31, whoa, your school had more flutes than the Berlin Philharmonic!

Playing English horn, her final performance with an orchestra.

Davida Scheffers has lived her dream in winning a contest and the opportunity to play with the Dutch Orchestra. Davida suffers from an extremely painful neuromuscular condition that derailed her career, and she thought she would never get to play in a professional orchestra again... The young blond lady is her daughter and was 18 years old that day.

R35, this reminded me of the wonderful film "Duet for One" with Julie Andrews and Alan Bates, based on the real-life story of Jacqueline du Pré and her husband, the aforementioned talentless hack Daniel Barenboim. Highly recommended.