Issue:
Issue: June 2018
In 1919, a copper scion, arts enthusiast, and amateur violinist by the name of William Andrews Clark Jr. founded the first permanent symphony orchestra in the City of Angels and named it the Los Angeles Philharmonic. His statement, “We want to be the best orchestra in America,” perhaps reflective of the optimistic 1920s era, was nonetheless a commitment he took on personally by becoming the LA … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2018
What do the Cleveland Orchestra and former assistant principal oboist Robert Zupnik have in common? At 100, they are both alive and very well, indeed! Cleveland-born Bob Zupnik was already a year old when the Cleveland Orchestra presented its first concert in Gray’s Armory on December 11, 1918. Much later as a young college student, Bob played when needed as an extra in the orchestra, and in … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
In the past several years, cultural diversity has become a major topic on the national arts agenda. Across the country, foundations, arts councils, advocacy organizations, nonprofit organizations, and universities alike have taken serious steps to explore, understand, and commit to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts. Against the backdrop of the widely publicized violence … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2018
This month, the League of American Orchestras (LAO), the Sphinx Organization, and the New World Symphony are jointly launching an initiative that will provide support to Latino and African-American musicians who are auditioning for orchestral positions. These organizations are making a commitment to address the lack of African-American and Latino musicians in US orchestras. As reported by … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2018
A while back, one of my colleagues suggested that the ICSOM conference was nothing more than a big social gathering. Unfortunately, I suspect they were not the only person to have that perception. Few people know about the time and effort the Governing Board, along with the host orchestra and Local, put in to the planning of these four days to ensure that each year’s conference has the very best … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2018
The Phoenix Symphony has a very extensive community outreach program, reaching not only thousands of children in the education programs, but also sending musicians out to homeless shelters, rehab centers, hospitals, and most recently, the Hospice of the Valley. The most recent addition to these amazing and powerful programs is a clinical study about the effects of live music on dementia and … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2018
The B-Sharp Music Wellness: a W.O.N.D.E.R. Project Alzheimer’s Research Initiative (ARI) evaluates the impact of live music on Alzheimer’s patients through a six-week program of musical interventions. Our team comprises a groundbreaking coalition of experts representing Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Arizona State University’s (ASU) College of Nursing and Health Innovation, University of … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2018
JoAnn Falletta has announced her intention to end her tenure as the Music Director of the Virginia Symphony after two more seasons. In the 2020–2021 season, the Virginia Symphony will celebrate its centennial, and JoAnn explained to the musicians that she preferred to have that milestone be entirely forward looking (with a new Music Director either in place or arriving soon with great fanfare) … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2018
Violins of Hope and Schindler’s List Too The Violins of Hope project, which brought approximately 25 violins, a viola, and a cello to Nashville from mid-March to June 2, was nearly 27 months in the making. The instruments, collected and restored by father and son Amnon and Avshi Weinstein and played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust, survived concentration camps, pogroms, and long journeys … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2018
When I joined the ICSOM Governing Board in 2002, a top priority was to bring our orchestras together to discuss electronic media. We recognized that the ICSOM Media Committee had to be expanded and become more diverse, while also being inclusive of the many viewpoints within ICSOM. We also knew that we needed a chair who was an expert and was well respected within ICSOM and the AFM. Our unanimous … [Read more...]
Issue: Editor's Reports
The Pension Fix is In? I have been interested in financial issues all of my adult life, and in the state of the American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund (AFM-EPF, or the Fund) ever since I became a participant. I have been concerned about the latter ever since it entered critical status in the aftermath of the Great Recession. My second column as editor (back in December 2014) … [Read more...]
