| Mikki,
Good morning and happy new year!
The chances of "feeding into a smaller orchestra", ballet, or opera orchestra are very small as there are fabulous players all over the UK looking for work. It's not impossible (I know a terrific American trombonist who was offered a chair in Grand Canaria and thus was able to move to other EU contracts in Glasgow (Scottish Opera) and Luxembourg (Radio & Television Orchestra), but rare.
The same thing is now true on the continent. German radio orchestras were hiring American trumpeters in the 70s and 80s but Americans rarely find work in Europe now. The standard of European trumpet playing is such (surpassing North America in some ways) that there is absolutely no reason for management to look outside the EU. Also please remember that these are mostly government jobs. Imagine the conundrum on talk radio here if the civil service were hiring outside the country. . .
Food for thought. It's still a good idea to study abroad at some point, if only (!) to expand your musical knowledge and experience.
Best,
EC |