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The tuba player in our local symphony moved, so I contacted the director and expressed my interest including my resume, etc. I have played in groups with many of the other players over the years. Here are his responses summarized and leaving out names:

Email 1 (June): You bring an impressive resume. I have spoken to board members who speak highly of you. If you are still interested, welcome to the orchestra.

Email 2 (June): Thank you for your enthusiasm, we will add you to the roster at the beginning of the season in October.

Email 3 (July): Others are interested in the position, so we will have auditions on 9/11.

Email 4 (after auditions): Thank you for auditioning, I will add you to the sub list. No mention of who won the audition.

In August, the Principal horn of 20 years was moved to 3rd and a professor who just moved to town was put in first. Her husband also plays tuba. Coincidence?

Now you know why there's a union for both full-time and regional orchestra players.
Maybe the new tuba player is him, and maybe he has more experience/plays better. Or not.

windshieldbug wrote: ↑Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:28 am
Maybe the new tuba player is him, and maybe he has more experience/plays better. Or not.

I'm sure he plays better. That is not the point, but I guess keeping one's word doesn't matter, either? So, I take it this is a common thing with local symphonies?

The decent thing to do would have been to announce that the vacancy was filled after they said you had it.

Is it common for local symphonies to be replete with indecency, intrigue, drama, politics and back stabbing??

No, they are too good for that kind of thing!!

Three Valves wrote: ↑Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:04 pm The decent thing to do would have been to announce that the vacancy was filled after they said you had it.

Is it common for local symphonies to be replete with indecency, intrigue, drama, politics and back stabbing??

No, they are too good for that kind of thing!!

Three Valves wrote: ↑Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:04 pm The decent thing to do would have been to announce that the vacancy was filled after they said you had it.

That was my first reaction - simply say the position was filled for this season. I guess common decency is not too common.

Nope.

Had they let new guy challenge you next year I don't think you would have said a thing, except "bring it!!"

Three Valves wrote: ↑Fri Sep 17, 2021 2:38 pm Nope.

Had they let new guy challenge you next year I don't think you would have said a thing, except "bring it!!"

Yep! or, it's been fun, but I'm going RVing this year.

I played in one of the better per-service orchestras in DC for a few years and had a similar experience DURING my tenure.

I was in my second year of playing the group and the personnel manager came up to me and said "we got a call from this tuba player who is married to the Principal Oboe. He just got into town and is playing with the Air Force Band, and called to see if he could become our regular tuba player. He says he's really good and would be an upgrade from what we have now. He and his wife both told us the Principal Oboe would quit if he didn't get the gig. We'd like to keep her, so would you mind if he played half of the concerts?"

Me: "Are you firing me?"
Personnel Manager: "No, we're just asking if you'd be willing to share the job."
Me: "If you don't want me, fire me. I'm your tuba player and I think I've done a really good job so unless you tell me I'm gone I'm planning to continue. So yes, I would mind and no, I won't be graciously stepping aside so he can play. The oboe player is excellent but in this town I can literally shake a tree and get a good oboe player who will play." The oboe player quit, the USAF Band tuba player never played one note in the Orchestra, and I quit after the next season because the new MD was terrible. The orchestra folded up a couple years later.

No, I will not say who the tuba player was in public but lots of people who know me know this story. Yes, people who have worked with him have told me he has a huge ego to the point of it being a problem. He's generally not well liked as near as I can tell, and is no longer playing in the USAF Band.

However, it's worth noting here that Orchestras - unless they are limited by a collective bargaining agreement - can pretty much do whatever they want in terms of personnel. I had NO recourse for keeping my gig other than to say "yeah, fire me or I'll keep showing up". They blinked, I didn't. Stuff like the OP described, in my mind it's pretty common.