Gloria Autry yielding her position after 55 years as S.B. Symphony’s second principal violinist
Gloria Autry is stepping aside after 55 years as second principal violinist chair with the Santa Barbara Symphony. The violin she is holding is the same one her parents bought for her when she was 12. STEVE MALONE/NEWS-PRESS
By Christina Kirchner, News-Press Correspondent
Gloria Autry started in the Santa Barbara Symphony as second principal violinist of the second section in 1955, and now after 55 years, she is stepping down.
This will be the last season as second principal violinist for Mrs. Autry, 76, although she will continue playing in the second section.
Santa Barbara Symphony Conductor Nir Kabaretti has only been with the symphony for four years, but the experience that he has had with Mrs. Autry, he said, has been nothing but positive.
“She has a bit of old school style about her, always ready to play,” said the maestro. “She is full of beautiful energy and she is spiritually young.”
Thanks in no small part to the fact that Mrs. Autry has been playing the violin longer than he has been alive, Mr. Kabaretti has had “a rich experience” working with her, he said.
Mrs. Autry started in the Santa Barbara Symphony in 1955, in its third official season. Mrs. Autry and her husband, Rodger, both played in the first section.
Since the symphony at the time was only a community organization and people could come when they were available, however, there were times when the second section of violinists wouldn’t all show up.
The conductor at the time was frustrated with the spotty attendance and one day in rehearsal he asked one of the first violinists to fill in as second principal. “I volunteered and have been there ever since. We didn’t have to audition for the chair then. I bet the others would be so jealous if they found out about that,” Mrs. Autry said with a laugh.
To Mrs. Autry, there is more meaning behind the second principal position.
“I like the harmony and the rhythmical parts that they play.”
The symphony, however, was not where she first began playing the violin.
When she was seven years old, her parents took her and her younger sister to a concert at the San Bernardino movie theatre. Mrs. Autry said that she would watch the conductor walk on the stage and put the baton in the air and “when the stick moved, the most glorious of sounds came about.” She knew then and there that she wanted to be a part of those glorious sounds and she was drawn, particularly, to the violin.
She started out on a half-sized violin and then moved up to a 3/4-size violin. When she was 12, her violin teacher told her parents that in order for her to gain the full potential sound of the violin, she would need to get a full-sized instrument.
In 1946, her parents bought her a violin, which was $100 at the time, a bow for $60, and a case for $40. Her parents’ overall investment was $200 — for an instrument they did not know she would continue using later on in life.
“This is the only one I have ever owned,” she said. “I have had no need to buy a new one.” The violin that her parents purchased for her has no name, no signature on it, but the scratches and the re-varnishing of the wood says that it “has a heritage to it,” Mrs. Autry said.
When Mrs. Autry, Mr. Autry and their son, Stephen, moved from Arcadia to Santa Barbara, Mrs. Autry got into contact with the conductor at the time, Stefan Kyrak, and asked what was going on with the symphony. Having previously met Mrs. Autry when, at 13, she was part of the All-State California High School Symphony, Mr. Kyrak asked her to come back. In September of 1955, Mr. and Mrs. Autry both joined the Santa Barbara Symphony.
Over the years, Mrs. Autry has seen the many changes of the symphony. She was there when the conductor didn’t sign a contract. She was there when it performed at the Lobero Theatre, The Granada, The Arlington, and at San Marcos High School’s cafeteria.
She was a part of the symphony when performers had to dress uniformly. The women had to go to Lou Rose, a tailor, to be measured for black floor-length, over-the-shoulder dresses and men had to get a black suit.
Despite her 55 years with the symphony, Mrs. Autry insists that she is just like a note in a great work, contributing to something much greater than the sum of its parts.
“It is the most rewarding and exciting part when people who play in the symphony, the ones who drive a couple of hours for rehearsals and performances can put their lives aside and just follow the baton and play,” she said. “It is an absolutely beautiful sound!”
Mr. Kabaretti said he is gratified that Mrs. Autry is not leaving the symphony altogether and will continue playing in the second section.
“I admire the fact that she is stepping down to let another handle the responsibility of the section,” Mr. Kabaretti said. “She has showed great leadership by doing so.”
Calling it quits altogether is just not something that Mrs. Autry is prepared to do.
“Maybe, eventually I’ll do so,” she said. “I would like to continue on playing, but when the time comes for me to stop playing, hopefully I’ll know. It is just not now.”
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