“The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has a new principal trumpet,” Esteban Batallán, writes Lawrence A. Johnson in Thursday’s (9/26) Chicago Classical Review. The position “has been vacant since the departure of Christopher Martin to the New York Philharmonic in 2016. Batallán has been playing in the first chair since the start of this season, recently completing his trial period as a final phase of the audition process. His appointment will become official on September 30…. A native of Barro, Spain, Batallán served as principal trumpet of the Hong Kong Philharmonic last season and for the Orchestra of the City of Granada from 2002 to 2018. He also served as the guest principal trumpet with the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala and the Filarmonica della Scala from 2015 to 2018 in addition to his role as guest principal trumpet of the Royal Orchestra of Seville from 2010 to 2014. The Spanish trumpeter first appeared with the CSO under Riccardo Muti in June of 2018. He returned to perform with Muti and the CSO in Verdi’s Requiem last November and also played with the CSO during tours in Tokyo and Asia this year, as well as in the June concert performances of Aida.”
Posted September 27, 2019