THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 18, 1995 TAG: 9505170268
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
Regarding Marguerite Schenkman's ``Conductor Schenkman not `biased''' (letter, April 30):
In August 1994, I was interviewed by staff writer Mark Mobley on the occasion of the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra's 75th birthday. In answer to questions about desegregation and the Norfolk Symphony, I told the story about my two auditions for the symphony in the early 1960s. The first audition was on string bass before conductor Edgar Schenkman after which he said that I played all right, but I did not play head and shoulders above all the musicians in the orchestra. He said, ``Before I can take a black in the symphony, I will have to justify it to the symphony board.''
The second audition occurred about two weeks later. I told Mr. Schenkman that I had more experience on tuba than on strong bass; so he agreed that I could audition on tuba. At the conclusion of the tuba audition, he said, ``You play well, but I do not need a tuba player - I already have one.''
I was interviewed by Dennis L. McCurdy in December 1994 for the January-February-March 1995 issue of the Program Guide for WFOS and WCTV of the Chesapeake school system. In answer to questions about desegregation and the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra, I told the same story about the auditions before Edgar Schenkman.
In 1966, after Schenkman resigned as conductor of the Norfolk Symphony to become the full-time conductor of the Richmond Symphony, Russell Stanger became the full-time conductor of the Norfolk Symphony. His first act as conductor was to declare all symphony chairs vacant and set a schedule for auditions. I auditioned and was accepted into the string-bass section.
After three years, I participated in a challenge audition and was moved up to third chair in the string-bass section. In 1976, I became principal string-bass player.
Mrs. Schenkman's letter indicated that Edgar Schenkman's decision not to accept me into the orchestra was made purely on professional grounds and not on the basis of race. Mrs. Schenkman was not in the studio at either of my auditions, so she cannot know what was said.
On the same day of my string-bass audition, Kenneth A. Keeling, a black clarinetist and a colleague in the music department at Norfolk State, auditioned; he was not accepted either.
I know the black musicians who were admitted to the Richmond Symphony. All are excellent musicians. However, I do not know whether Edgar Schenkman had the same fears about the attitudes of the Richmond Symphony Board that he had about those of the Norfolk Symphony Board.
JAMES M. REEVES
Chesapeake, May 2, 1995 by CNB