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A female trumpeter? It's not so unusual

Judith Saxton, who is principal trumpeter for the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, doesn't consider herself a pioneer.

BY CHRIS SHULL

The Wichita Eagle

One of the coolest brass music albums you can hear is "The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli." It was recorded in 1969 and features the powerhouse brass sections from the Philadelphia, Cleveland and Chicago orchestras.

The cover of the record album (and the more recent Sony Classical CD) pictures the musicians grouped into their ensembles, clutching their horns. Wearing white shirts, dark jackets and thin neckties, the players all sport the close-cropped, conservative haircuts of the '60s. They could be accountants, not incredible musicians.

But there is not a woman among them. In those days, American orchestras were just beginning to integrate the sexes. Then, brass sections were as all-male as the infantry.

That has changed. Women are accepted in every American orchestra today. Just look at the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, where women made up more than half of the 90-person roster last season, and where Judith Saxton has played principal trumpet since 1999.........................

Annie

That's awesome she feels that way - but it is still considered anti-feminine by well...most everyone, even though more and more little girls are picking up the instrument - it's kind of like the push for women in science because women don't tend to be very scientific. A friend of mine's mother mentioned to me that "She knew what it was like, playing an unfeminine instrument, because she played trombone because her father just about made her do it for at least some time." But hey, I'm not complaining about the limit of gals in the section...I kinda like bein' surrounded by all those guys...

MUSICandCHARACTER

It sounds like when I was applying for graduate school. I really considered a Ph.D. program in Oceanography. To get in, I had to have a least one course in organic chemistry (how many music majors take organic chemistry and calculus?). Anyway, any credit in organic chemistry was fine. So I had a tough choice, take the organic chemistry for chem majors, or take the organic chemistry for nursing majors. Hmmm... nurses or chem majors. I took the nursing course. 135 students, 2 males. The odds were pretty good ....

This story also reminds me of the great story of Megumi Kanda, principle trombonist of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra:

http://www.afm.org/im/cover/08-03/08-03.htm

Jim

wiseone2

Women have been in symphony brass sections for years.
Gail Hutchins has been a member of the Baltimore Symphony's trumpet section since 1967. Bibi Black was in the Philadelphia Orchestra trumpet section. Barbra Butler has played in many orchestras. And let's not forget the champion..........Susan Slaughter in Saint Louis
Dorothy Ziegler was principal trombone in St. Louis in the 50s!
Lucinda Lewis has been first horn of the New Jersey Symphony for a long time.
I am sure I have left out quite a few of heroic colleagues.
Wilmer

riffdawg2000

Funny thing is ... if all of us guys knew that way back when ... we should have played in the FLUTE section! :)