Diana Dorman, Principal Clarinet/Orchestra Contractor

Longtime subscribers to the Berkeley Symphony know Diana Dorman as the orchestra's principal clarinetist, a position she has held since the days of the Berkeley Promenade. But since last June she has also been the orchestra's contractor, the person responsible for overseeing the makeup of the orchestra for subscription concerts, the children's program and Under Construction concerts, as well as the pit orchestra for events like the Mark Morris Dance Group's Hard Nut. There is, of course, a core of players who make up the Berkeley Symphony, but on occasion particular members may not be able to play a given concert. And, of course, big works like a Bruckner symphony require many more players than the 70 or so musicians who make up the core orchestra—the score might call for a saxophone, a contrabass clarinet, an accordion or an onde martineau (a very unusual instrument favored by Olivier Messiaen). In these situations she has to find the players to cover the parts. If the second trombone player breaks his ankle two hours before a concert, Diana will get the call, pull out her Rollodex and start phoning for a replacement. During last December's Hard Nut performances, the piccolo player became ill during the first half of a performance and wasn't able to continue. Diana was on the phone at the beginning of the intermission, and the sub made it just in time for the TK dance in the second act.