Rachel Kelly Appointed Principal Tuba at Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

In Saturday’s (12/7) ABC News Australia, Georgie Burgess reports, “The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra’s principal tuba position is now held by a woman for the first time in the orchestra’s 75 year history. The winds of change are blowing, with more women auditioning for instrument positions traditionally held by men in the 47-piece orchestra. … Rachel Kelly was appointed to the role earlier this year, after a blind audition process. She replaces long-standing principal tuba player Tim Jones…. As a principal musician, Kelly—who studied at the Queensland Conservatorium—is tasked with leading her section…. TSO chief executive Caroline Sharpen said the blind audition process was designed to weed out any bias. ‘It happens behind a screen for the first one or two rounds,’ she said…. ‘[The audition panel is] listening for their intonation and their musicality and the personality that they bring to the music.’… A study of orchestras across the world showed 90 per cent of tuba positions were held by men, and 83 per cent of principal musician positions were also held by men. Sharpen said it was becoming more common to see women auditioning for low brass, double bass and timpani—positions typically occupied by men.”