Vienna Orchestra

Is the Vienna Philharmonic only strings?

I really want to be in it but I play the clarinet and from the pictures look like its inly strings.

Public Comments

1. It is a full orchestra, can play all the major symphonies. Has brass, winds and percussion as well as strings.
2. Orchestras are a string majority- usually 16 1st violins, 16 2nds, 8 cellos and 4 basses. They do have clarinets, oboes, flutes and bassoons, but the competition is very difficult. The reason is because they only allow 1 person on a part. I have a music degree and play in an orchestra professionally- so I know the system. Good luck finding an opening
3. No, it most definitely is not, so you can rest assured that if you practice productively and use your time wisely and learn to play the Vienna Academy model clarinets you will most likely have some chance of entering a good austrian school of music. Some really great recordings are available through www.amazon.com: look for: Alfred Boskovsky's recording of the Mozart cl. quintet, which is available from the Testament label. You will also enjoy the great variety of records by Decca and DG (Deutsche Grammophon) that may very well be conducted by the great conductors of the 20th century, like: Karl Bohm, Herbert Von Karajan, Erich Kleiber; Leonard Bernstein, etc. The reed experts at Vandoren have also produced a number of products for the austrian school, like their line of Black Master Reeds which give you the chance to play in that wonderful dark blending sound that is characteristic of the VPO winds. Some Vienese clarinetists are: Leopold Wlach: 1940s to 1960; Alfred Boskovsky, which is for the same era (in fact a student of Wlach's) (and brother of the famed violinist and VPO concertmaster, Wili Boskovsky; Alfred Prinz (1st, 1968 to 1978)-which has some fine recording available today, like the Weber qt. and the Mozart Concerto. There are also some very fine etudes that you should get to know before applying to the Karajan Academy, like: the those by the composer and violinist, Alfred Uhl and the Jettel( which is a german requirement). I should mention that both these books are in print and that the Uhl is published by Schott and I believe that the Jettel is too but I am not sure. You should also consider applying to a summer camp in Austria, before you get started in the Hochschoole. Best wishes in your endeavor. torombre48@gmail.com