Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Appoints Musicians for 2019-20 Season
Following extensive, highly competitive auditions, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Music Director Louis Langrée announced the appointments of Molly Norcross, Assistant Principal Horn, and Haley Bangs, Second Flute, effective September 2019. In addition, the Orchestra announced one-year appointments and will hold auditions for more positions over the course of the season.
The CSO announced in August the appointment of Stefani Matsuo as Concertmaster following a season in the Associate Concertmaster role. Charles Morey will be Acting Associate Concertmaster for the 2019-20 season. Morey came to Cincinnati as Acting Assistant Concertmaster for the 2017-18 season and was appointed to the CSO as a member of the Second Violin section starting in the 2018-19 season. The Associate Concertmaster chair is endowed by Tom and Dee Stegman.
Assistant Principal and Utility Horn
Hailed by Allan Kozinn in The New York Times as giving “a magnificent performance: precise, passionate, and supple,” Molly Norcross comes to Cincinnati as Assistant Principal and Utility Horn of the CSO. She previously held the positions of Principal Horn of the Fort Worth Symphony and Associate Principal/Third Horn of the San Antonio Symphony. Additionally, Norcross is the Principal Horn of the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra. She has performed as Guest Principal Horn with the New York Philharmonic, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Naples Philharmonic (FL), and enjoys frequent substitute appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as performances with the Boston and Dallas symphony orchestras.
She has performed solo concertos with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, New Juilliard Ensemble and at the New Hampshire Music Festival.
She is Assistant Principal Horn, but will be serving as Acting Associate Principal Horn for the 2019-2020 season while Thomas Sherwood is on leave from the Orchestra.
The Assistant Principal Horn chair is endowed by the Sweeney Family in memory of Donald C. Sweeney, and the Associate Principal Horn chair is endowed by Ellen A. and Richard C. Berghamer.
Second Flute
Haley Bangs, a native of Colorado Springs, joins the CSO as Second Flute. She previously served as Associate Principal Flutist of the Omaha Symphony Orchestra and Principal Flutist of the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C. She has also performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Albany Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, New World Symphony, and the Colorado and Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestras.
The chair is endowed by Jane and David Ellis.
More New Faces
Two musicians are joining the CSO this season with one-year contracts. Austin Brown will serve as Acting Associate Principal Flute following the departure of Henrik Heide at the end of the 2018-19 season. Brown has been awarded prizes from the Donald Peck International Flute Competition, the Flute Society of Greater Philadelphia’s Young Artist Competition, and the Carnegie Mellon University Baroque Concerto Competition.
Austin Larson is Acting Assistant Principal Horn for the 2019-20 season while Molly Norcross serves as Acting Associate Principal Horn. Larson comes to Cincinnati from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, where he has served in the Third Horn position since 2017. He previously served as Assistant Principal Horn position with the Colorado Symphony for three years. Larson previously held positions with Symphony in C, the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Switzerland, and Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra and has also performed as a guest with many other ensembles, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and New World Symphony.
In June, the CSO announced a new class of CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows also beginning service with the Orchestra this month.
The CSO has auditions for a number of open positions in the coming days and months including violin, clarinet, flute and viola.