Richard “Gus” Sebring, newly named principal horn at the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
“Richard ‘Gus’ Sebring has officially taken over as principal horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, in which he has served as associate principal since 1982; he is also principal of the Boston Pops,” writes Edward Edgerton in Tuesday’s (5/2) Musical America (subscription required). “He succeeds James Sommerville, who retired in November after 24 years in the job. Sebring was one of 150 applicants for the job; he was awarded the position after blind auditions and finally as one of the three finalists to perform live before Music Director Andris Nelsons, the audition committee, the Chamber Players, the horn section, and the complete brass section…. Also a composer and arranger, Sebring is on the faculties of New England Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, and Tanglewood Music Center. The BSO also has a new section cellist in Jonah Ellsworth, with Roric Cunningham and Christine Lee joining him as of August 18. Ellsworth holds a BM and MM from the New England Conservatory and an MMA from Yale University School of Music; Cunningham has a BM from the Juilliard School; Lee, from South Korea, holds an MM from Juilliard and is pursuing an Advanced Performance Diploma at the Royal Academy of Music in London.”
