Peyton Place? Yep. Lots of times. And no, you won’t get stories from me! (But do younger readers even know what we’re talking about when we say “Peyton Place”?)

This article is about the married couples in the Virginia Symphony.

Orchestras, in general, can be kind of stressful places. Like Peyton Place, but accompanied by Bach. It’s hard to make a living. Full-time positions are highly coveted, then jealously guarded. If you are already married, and if both of you are lucky enough to land spots in the same orchestra, then it would be prudent to hang onto those jobs for as long as you both can. Especially if one of you plays a more obscure instrument. “For oboists, there are only a few jobs in an orchestra,” says Jorge Aguirre, who plays the violin. “I made the choice that if Sherie gets a job first, then I would follow.” Twenty-four years ago, oboist Sherie got the job in Virginia, and Jorge followed her from Spain. He got a position a few years later.