The Myriad Vital Roles of Orchestra Librarians

In Thursday’s (10/31) Boston Globe, A.Z. Madonna writes, “When the Boston Symphony Orchestra performs at Symphony Hall, its members dress accordingly: white shirts, black jackets, bow ties. What about the BSO’s librarians? They don’t play instruments with the orchestra, but they’re members of it and as much a part of the performance as any of their musician colleagues—so the librarian on duty puts on the uniform, too. Five minutes before showtime, the librarian knocks on the conductor’s dressing room door and collects the conductor scores, the full-size scores that include music for the entire ensemble. While the musicians warm up, the librarian quietly places the scores on the podium and disappears backstage. But that doesn’t mean they can change into street clothes yet. ‘We’re there in case some last-minute disaster happens,” said BSO principal librarian D. Wilson Ochoa … Still, the vast bulk of the librarians’ work takes place behind the scenes, away from the lights and the crowds. To put it simply, if it has to do with any sheet music that the orchestra is using or about to use, the librarians take care of it. That’s around 900 pieces of music per year, encompassing the repertoires of the BSO, the Boston Pops, the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, and the Boston Symphony Chamber Players.”