05/24/2026
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While we can rest easy because both Womenβs History and Black History months have passed, the history of timpanist Elayne Jones at the San Francisco Symphony should not be erased, especially not this week in the wake of the historic appointment of Elim Chan as the San Francisco Symphonyβs new Music Director Designate.
Elayne Jones made history in 1972 when she won the principal timpani chair of the San Francisco Symphony through a blind audition, an irony not lost on her, since she had been one of the driving forces behind establishing blind auditions in the first place precisely to combat racial bias. She was, at the time, the only Black musician occupying a principal chair in any major American orchestra. Her debut was rapturously received. The San Francisco Chronicle critic called her playing βsensationalβ and praised her intonation, phrasing, and tonal sensibility, and she toured with the orchestra in Europe and the Soviet Union to similar acclaim. She had bought champagne to celebrate what she assumed would be a routine tenure approval.
Instead, in May 1974, a seven-man all-white players committee denied her tenure, giving her just 169 out of 700 possible points. Two committee members rated her a 1 out of 100. Six white musicians hired at the same time were all granted tenure; the only other musician denied was Japanese bassoonist Ryohei Nakagawa. Jones sued for racial and sexual discrimination. A federal judge ordered a second supervised vote in 1975, but a new committee denied her again, citing intonation concerns. Music director Seiji Ozawa, who had initially supported her, withdrew his support during the second vote and soon left the orchestra entirely. (Can you imagine playing that third season, after suing? Wow, props.)
Jones sued again, but the case was dismissed. βWas it because I was a woman or a Black? Or both?β she said publicly at the time. She went on to a 23-year career as timpanist with the San Francisco Opera, retiring in 1998, and published her memoir, Little Lady With a Big Drum, in 2019. She died in December 2022 at 94. The episode remains one of the most documented cases of racial and gender discrimination in American orchestral history.
Fast forward to more than 50 years later, and the SFSO has just recently tenured their first Black principal (a man, the principal bassoonist), and just recently tenured a single onstage woman principal (the harpist, joining their principal librarian who is also a woman.) Those statistics for Black principals are sadly better than most orchestras, and the statistics for women principals are, as I wrote yesterday, dismal. I canβt think of any similarly big orchestras doing so badly in that arena, especially when you consider how many women are in music conservatories.
The SFSO had a tremendous opportunity when they hired Elayne Jones back in the 1970s. Even today, I cannot name for you a woman timpanist in a major American orchestra. I can name just one Black one for you. And I can name another Black one (well, a percussionist, actually, but they are often considered in the same βtimpani/percussionβ breath ) with a similarly visible story to Elayne Jones. A half century later, Josh Jones was the first Black tenure-track principal in the Kansas City Symphony and was denied tenure in a story remarkably similar Elayne Jonesβ (they are not related.)
The challenge for San Francisco today is real. What will they do with the legacy of Elayne Jones? How will the orchestra live with Elim Chan after the glossy press and honeymoon phase dies down? How will the orchestra reconcile its historic injustices with its future promise?
One thing I know is that simply celebrating while ignoring history does not lead to success or growth when it comes time to do real work. Like I said yesterday, the appointment of Elim Chan is a step in the right direction. But that step needs to be on top of massive systemic change and restructuring to be meaningful. It is San Franciscoβs time to lead rather than follow a backward past.
