Aspiring Trumpeter

Hey,

I was just watching a video of the Boston Symphony playing La Mer and the thought occured to me that I have never seen or heard of a woman holding a chair in a major orchestra... Now it could be that I just have a very limited knowlege of who has sat in what chair when, and so on.
I'm just plain curious.

Thanks,
Matt

lemons

Susan Slaughter, with St. Louis. Joyce Johnson-Hamilton with San Francisco. Bibi Black with Pittsburgh (I think)

JustinSmith

MARIE SPEZIALE played in the Cincinatti Symphony for a long time.

Shepherd School of Music - MARIE SPEZIALE

Chris Houser

While maybe not "major symphonies", two names come to mind that should be mentioned. Sally Nelson, recently retired after more that 20 years as Third/Assistant Principal with the Oregon Symphony. Lynn Erickson, current second trumpet with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Aspiring Trumpeter

Thanks a lot! I honestly had no idea.

Matt

dlewis

Gail Hutchins played many years for the Baltimore symphony Orchestrs

derekkress

Karen Donnelly principal trumpet for the NAC(National Arts Centre Orchestra) here in Canada's national capital Ottawa.A wonderful player and a wonderful person! Also Manon Lafrance who holds or has held principal positions with National Ballet Orchestra of Canada, Laval Symphony Orchestra, Longueil Symphony Orchestra and positions with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.I believe Karen and Manon play in the Capital Brass Works (Ottawa).Maybe if we are lucky Jens can comment since he has played professionally with these two excellent trumpet players!

carltonsstudent

My wife, Virginia, was the first civilian soloist, at the age of 16, with the U.S. Navy Band in 1964, playing to a crowd of about 20,000. She played Vincent Bach's 'Hungarian Melodies' and after the concert she visited Vincent Bach at his factory in Mount Vernon, NY and played it for him. Although he was deaf at that point he could tell what she was playing and had a few suggestions for her. He also gave her at that time three boxes of his own music, which we use to this day in our own Brass Quintet. My wife also was a regular player at Disney Land in California and played three seasons with the Orange County symphony before marrying me. She has played third trumpet with me in stage bands and has a really good A above High C. She teaches her students today with the Carmine Caruso book and one of her students is in 5th grade with a stong Double-C. So believe me, girls playing trumpet is a good thing. Also if you read the book 'Magnificent Mendez' you will see that chapter 1 is largely about my wife whose name at that time was Virginia Leach. She and Mendez were good friends and Mendez used to stay at her house when he played in the Chigago area. And one final thing, Vincent continued to write letters to my wife even after we were married and we have often thought that we might publish them as part of the historical record of the most gracious man - Vincent Bach.

wiseone2

Carltonstudent you had better read your post and make the necessary addition. You forgot something very important!
Wilmer

dstrad

Bib Black played with the Philadelphia Orchestra for one year. Also I beleive that Barbara Butler played with St Louis.