What It Takes to Audition for the Portland Symphony

In Friday’s (7/12) Portland Press Herald (Maine), Megan Gray writes, “Cellist Brent Selbey recently stepped into the position of principal cellist with the Portland Symphony Orchestra…. [A] long day in April was an audition to be the principal cello …The hours-long process is competitive and secretive, guided by industry standards meant to reduce bias and closely guarded by the orchestra’s leaders. In Portland, every round is conducted blind, which means the audition committee never sees the candidates and judges them by sound alone…. Selby, 37, … auditioned in Portland for the first time two years ago and got the assistant principal position, [eventually] subbing as principal for months…. He didn’t automatically get the job when it officially opened. In fact, the whole process is designed so that all 20 applicants would have the same chance. Caen Thomason-Redus is the vice president of inclusion and learning at the League of American Orchestras, which has developed recommendations to increase equity and diversity in a predominantly white field. Data shows that men and women have nearly equal representation in orchestras today. However, representation of Black and Latino musicians still lags, a problem that Thomason-Redus said needs to be addressed in part with wider access to music education and training…. Selby officially played his first concert as principal June 18.”