TopGun

I have no idea how you play Fudleysmith but I bet if you tried to win the 1st trumpet chair in the NYP you would have a better understanding of how unique Phil Smith's skills are.

To think that the pay differences as stated in that article are troublesome just makes no sence to me. The comparison to the discrepancies of compensation in the corporate world is just as off based. If the section players were making $100K and Smith was making 1mil then you might have an argument. The responsibilities of sitting in that 1st chair day in and day out easily warrant the premium awarded. It is a hell of a lot easier to be the two man or sit in the middle of the string section however I do believe these people deserve to be paid well.

Fudleysmith

This has nothing to do with me or my playing ability. But to say that any of the principal players of the major orchestras of the world couldn't be interchanged isn't realistic. Players of that caliber step up to the challenges presented to them. When Phil Smith retires, will the NYP fold? No, he will be replaced and a new tradition of excelence will commence.

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Fudleysmith

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TopGun

The point is that there will not be 125, 50, or even close to 30 people at the audition that are, in the eyes of the NYP, "qualified" to do the job. Just take a look at what has been going on in the CSO over the past 5 or 6 years. The person who replaces PS will be one of the top professional in the field, the orchestral will demand that and because of this the orchestra will go on with a new tradition of excellence.

The NYP sells a product that is understood as being the best the world has to offer. That is what is important to many of their patrons. They may not be able to hear a bit of difference between one orchestra and the other but they want to be involved with the best. This is what must be delivered by the management and they know it is necessary to spend more to insure the product will meet expectations.

Rest assured Smith earns every cent he is paid and a lot more. He is also a very unique artist.

rjzeller

Wow. I guess I didn't intent this to become a referrendum on the salaries professional orchestra musicians make. Far as I'm concerned, they're worth every penny and more.

Me? I'd be glad to make a quarter what Mr. Smith does to play my horn professionally. But then, I haven't really put in the time, have I?

Just to sit in one of those concert halls and hear a piece of work performed like these folks can do is fantastic, and they cannot get paid enough.

A friend of mine who is a first-rate cellist passed on a musical career to become a radiologist instead. Yeah, he's making it big. But when I told him how I'd love to play even for a lower tier symphony, we discussed salaries and he gave me an answer I'll never forget:

"I just don't think $50,000 or even $150,000 is enough money for the level of skill and dedication required."

This, of course, coming from a man who makes a heck of a lot more than that, even.

But it made me think -- these people (many of them, anyway), took some risk and worked very hard, are exceptionally disciplined, and have had to earn their spots. They not only deserve what they make, but a whole lot more. Mr. Smith can make $500,000 a year and I'd still be content. All that really matters is that he's happy and his audience is happy. If the answer is yes to both, pay doesn't matter (and having it public does seem a tad unfair).

What ballplayers provide is entertainment. What these people provide is beauty.

Anyway......

What I found intriquing about the article is not how much money A and B are making, but rather the economic makeup of these large orchestras and the difficulties in running them. I'm not sure if I'm for or against the salaries the executives and directors are making; only that I would be curious to see if these organizations approached finances the same were they to be privately funded and for-profit instead of publicly funded and non-profit.....

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There are 10 kinds of people in the world: Those who understand binary and those who do not.

Jimi Michiel

Here's something to chew on:

sure, the most accomplished orchestral musicians make significantly less than the most accomplished actors or athletes, but they also aren't as famous. In Boston, you'll never see any of the Red Sox players out in public because everywhere they go they get mobbed by adoring fans. Same with the Celtics. I also don't see many big movie stars walking their dogs in the park, presumably for the same purpose. Usually, when you get the big pay check, you sacrifice your privacy and become a public figure.

For better or worse, orchestral musicians don't have this problem. Those with jobs can chime in, but I would bet that Phil Smith can walk down the street in NYC and not get mobbed by groupies. And I doubt he would trade that for a bigger salary.

-Jimi

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MJ

I'm sure there are many millionaires walking down the streets of NY and no one has a clue who they are. Lawyers, MDs, Accountants etc.

I bet many of the top pros in those fields are making in a month what Mr. Smith makes in a year with the NYP if not more. They can go about their lives fine with out being mobbed. How big of a pay check are you talking about before being "mobbed" ? Are you just talking about actors and athletes

Jimi Michiel

I'm talking about "talent" professions. Professions where people pay to see you perform. Professions where you do something for a profit that most people just do for fun. Nobody does investment banking for fun, do they?
Jimi

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PINCHUNO

Wow!
Apart from chairmen/women of international conglomerates and the like, I'd love to meet these people who are making more than $250000 per month. They must be just throwing the money around in the states. no wonder there is such an economical imbalance in the world.

MJ

Do you make your living playing the trumpet Pinchuno?

TopGun

Phil Smith is not a "talent." He is an artist who has through many decades of dedication crafted his skill to a world class level. Professionals in areas such as pop music and sports which are deemed veterans at the age of 23 are "talents."

Phil Smith - Master Craftsman
Pop Star - Lucky