There are currently nine openings in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and several openings in New York, LA, and Boston.
The CSO has openings for violin, viola, cello, clarinet, contrabassoon and timpani.
Why so many spots? First, it is cheaper to leave jobs unfilled and pay substitutes. In Chicago, the players agreed to let four vacancies stand last season and next for budgetary reasons.
Music director transitions also delay hiring. Riccardo Muti takes over at the CSO in September.
