When I joined the London Philharmonic at age twenty-two, there were two women in the orchestra: the harpist, because “playing the harp was women's work, like ironing,” and one violinist “who didn't count because she was over sixty.” This was the dinosaur attitude of many of my experienced colleagues.

After I'd been in the orchestra for about a year, the concertmaster wanted to bring two or three excellent female violinists into the orchestra. There was a huge outcry from some of my older colleagues. I was in a group of younger players who persuaded the management that the concertmaster's views should be heard. Opinions on both sides were expressed in a meeting, the more bizarre comments including: “Women are difficult on tour” (in my experience, men can be very difficult on tour) and “they want the rights of men and the privileges of women at the same time” (I am still trying to work out what that means).

Fortunately, reason and artistic conscience prevailed: we took a vote, and the majority of us were in favor of hiring the women. From the very day they joined the orchestra it was clear that there was no problem, and the issue disappeared forever. Nearly every orchestra in the world includes both genders, often in principal positions: I hired Juliana Athayde as concertmaster of the Rochester Philharmonic, with great success.