Issue:
Issue: February 2012
The Colorado Symphony is projecting to end its 2012 fiscal year with a balanced budget. This revelation may come as quite a surprise to some on the outside looking in. However, for the musicians, staff, administration, and board, the hard work of the past few months has paid off. One of the key factors in the rapid stabilization of the organization was the number of old friends of the Colorado … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
I’ve been reviewing some recent headlines from the national press: Colorado Symphony (cue drumroll) is back in the black ...the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra will make its long-awaited debut March 4, marking the return of a professional orchestra to the state more than two years after the Honolulu Symphony played its final note. ...another milestone in Alabama Symphony’s rise. Buffalo … [Read more...]
Issue: February 2012
Having just completed the 2011 ICSOM Conference minutes—36 pages, thank you very much—and knowing how quickly the next Conference will be upon us, I’d like to take a few minutes to reflect upon the historic Conference that will be held in Chicago, August 22–25, 2012, at the Westin Michigan Avenue hotel. First, let me share my own personal excitement, because I love history, and we will be … [Read more...]
Issue: Counsel's Columns
Recognizing disabilities and providing reasonable accommodations as required by federal law are topics that are often overlooked or misunderstood by employers and can be perplexing for even the most experienced union representatives (and attorneys). Because the law has changed and because disability-related matters arise from time to time, the following provides a brief summary and some issues to … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
Title: The Perilous Life of Symphony Orchestras: Artistic Triumphs and Economic Challenges Author: Robert J. Flanagan Publisher: Yale University Press Publication Date: January 24, 2012 [December 05, 2011 according to publisher website] ISBN: 9780300171938 Hardcover: 240 pages No one is going to read this book. Well, perhaps I exaggerate. A handful of people will read this book, and … [Read more...]
Issue: Editor's Reports
The San Francisco Symphony newslet on pensions in the December 2011 issue of Senza Sordino generated considerable interest. One reader pointed out that the loss due to lower rates of return on investments in defined contribution plans compared to defined benefit plans was actually understated. If the defined contribution plan experiences a return that is 1% lower each year, after 14 years the … [Read more...]
Issue: February 2012
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra finished its 2010-2011 fiscal year with a surplus of $46,000. There were many contributing factors. The musicians of the BPO had agreed to contract concessions over the previous two seasons, allowing the orchestra to get on solid financial ground in the current financial environment. Management positions were trimmed and streamlined as well. During the … [Read more...]
Issue: February 2012
In March 2012, the musicians of the former Honolulu Symphony will return to the concert stage. The board of the new Hawaii Symphony has announced a shortened 16-week season that will kick off the start of a new professional orchestra in the islands. It has been a long journey. The old Honolulu Symphony played its last concert in October 2009. At that time the old board cancelled all concerts … [Read more...]
