ANN ARBOR—University of Michigan senior Carolyn Jantsch outplayed 194 other aspirants to win the coveted position of Principal Tuba with the Philadelphia Orchestra, making her the first female tuba player with a major American symphony orchestra and at the age of 20 the youngest in this Philadelphia institution.

Jantsch, an honors student in U-M’s School of Music, studies with Fritz Kaenzig, U-M professor of music.

Prior to her appointment with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Jantsch had been substituting with that organization and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Her many honors and accomplishments include winning first place in four international solo competitions, including the prestigious 2004 Der Internationaler Instrumentalwettbewerb Markneukirchen and the Tuba Artist Competition at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference 2004 in Budapest, Hungary. She has also been a finalist in numerous other solo competitions. Last year, she was named a Yamaha Young Performing Artist.

Jantsch has performed concertos with the United States Marine Band as winner of the Potomac Festival International Tuba Competition, with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra as a winner of their young Artists competition and with the Interlochen Arts Academy Band.

She was a guest artist at the 2005 Midwest Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference, where she gave a full solo recital. She has played the orchestral premiere of Bruce Broughton’s Tuba Concerto at the Henry Mancini Institute, with Bruce Broughton conducting.

Following her April graduation from U-M, Jantsch will join the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra for its summer performances and its full season beginning in the fall.

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