Why He Quit Philly

Esteban Batallán's abrupt departure as principal trumpet for the Philadelphia Orchestra just six months after his arrival set tongues wagging. He has now explained why he is returning to Chicago for the same position, after a year’s leave of absence.

Batallán, who had never hidden his ambivalence about the move to Philadelphia, is quick with assurances that his leaving has nothing to do with the quality of the orchestra. "The Philadelphia Orchestra is a great orchestra—one of the best in the world," he told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

And he is equally direct when saying he wished he had more time playing with the Philadelphians before making his decision. But the orchestra’s policy calls for players to inform management of their season-end resignation or retirement months in advance. In this instance, he had to decide by mid-October, a decision point that had already been extended at his request.

But even more time might not have made any difference. Issues of musical style also informed his decision making. As principal trumpet, he considered his role to be that of leader of the entire brass section. While his fellow trumpeters agreed, other members of the brass section apparently did not.

To better understand what that meant requires some institutional context. The Chicago Symphony is renowned for its brass section, while the Philadelphia Orchestra reputation has been built on the rich sound of its strings. "It's a different way of approaching how we play,” Batallán explains. “For me I have had all my life a really defined, vibrant sound with a very clear articulation. It's normally the way we brass players play.”

But in Philadelphia, he found that some members of the brass section held back. That may be fine for works by composers such as Schumann or Haydn, or other lighter fare, but at other times, “You have to be more prominent and have to know how much to go for it. I found myself with a little bit of… pushback on certain things."

A spokesperson for the orchestra told the Inquirer, it was "not for us to speculate on why he decided to leave." Batallán's departure comes at a particularly inopportune moment; the orchestra's associate principal trumpeter, Jeffrey Curnow, is leaving at the end of the season to take a teaching position at Indiana University.

The orchestra expects to hold auditions next season, which makes it likely that a new principal trumpet won't be in place until 2026-27. In the meantime, Batallán will be back in Chicago. "I have to go where I think I belong," he said.

MSN.com