One of the side-effects being experienced by some of the more troubled American orchestras is the "brain drain" (or, uh, playin' drayin') of their best players to rival bands. The latest to be reportedly up for another big job is the Minnesota Orchestra's concertmaster Erin Keefe.
The New York Times reports that Keefe will step into the hot seat in forthcoming concerts conducted by the Phi's music director Alan Gilbert to see how she fares. There will be other guest concertmasters as the season progresses until a candidate is chosen.
Keefe is believed to be much prized in Minnesota, and the fact that she is looking, while hardly a surprise, will sadden the long-suffering classical music fans there. But New York is a plum job, and current NYPO concertmaster Glenn Dicterow will be resigning his post soon to form (doubtless among other projects) a trio with the pianist Jeffrey Biegel and Robert DeMaine, the principal cello of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
