To think women are just as good musicians?

[Tigger03]

Watching the New Year’s Day concert in Vienna (on bbc2) and around 95% of the orchestra is male.

What’s the reason for this? I’m fairly sure at very lower levels of playing music women outstrip men?

The French Horn may be technically difficult, but it doesn't require the sheer movement of air that the trombone and tuba do. There are a few very good female players of those, but the physical aspect is considerable (hence brass players being technically allowed to retire at 55). Trumpet and horn do not require the same.

Added to that, the culture of the brass is somewhat "masculine".

not really my field and I am happy to be instructed: thanks. She was thirteen at the time, now I think about it, so probably just not fully grown enough yet.

I knew a man who was a professional (jazz and session) trombonist, and went over to trumpet in his sixties on his doctor's advice.

My 1st instrument was trumpet, my DD's 2nd instrument is clarinet- her lungs are definitely as big as mine were.

I'm not sure about percussionists all being male- all the youth orchestras I know have female percussionists. Indeed, both my DD and my mother have/had orchestral percussion as their third instrument.

it's not so much power and lung capacity as controlling breathing with the diaphragm.

As one who has had to try and keep up with the LSO trombone section, I can promise you it's about more than just control...

Yes, control is very important, but if you can't use the control to shift the volume of air to match the volume that the other players are shifting, then you ain't doing the job.