[TPIN] Associate, Assistant, and Acting Principal Trumpet

[Glenn Bengry]

As MA said  Associate and Assistant are often used interchangeably.  I do know there are
some situations where the term Associate principal title is very close to having two equal
principal players where both guys play major works.  I'm not sure how this relationship developed but I know that Los Angeles and Boston have both used this arrangement.  Perhaps it was a way to split up a huge workload, or a way to convince a great player to join the section by giving him/her a principal chair and responsiblity while easing the heavy load of the existing principal player
 
    As per usual, the relationships in the section being very important and often complicated, the responsibilities and recognition, as well as the personalities always come into play.
 
    Then, of course, there is the title of Acting Principal, which is the most precarious of titles.  The Acting principal pretty much has to do whatever is asked of him, has no job security, and even if he/she plays great, they can be let go, asked to participate in the next audition, and the next, and the next until they make up their mind as to what they are going to do with the chair.
 
    Sometimes Acting Principal refers to somebody who is trying to "act as if they are a principal" even if they don't exactly sound like a principal player.
 
     I was an Acting Principal one season.  The previous principal came back so I stopped acting like a principal.  
 
glenn
 
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x> One that is popular here is "Associate Principal." That usually means that> the Principal won't play the concertos and other pieces considered minor in> order to save up for the big blows in the concert. On these pieces the> associate princ. Will play first trumpet. Associate is usually either the> 2nd or 3rd player in the section. This position is also sometimes called> "3rd/assistant 1st"> > I actually think this is a good idea for orchestras that are very busy. I> understand that there are some European orchesras that have 2 complete> rotating sections because the work load is so heavy.> > MA> >