Issue: April 2024
The decision to rebrand Symphoria as The Syracuse Orchestra marks a significant milestone in our ensemble's 11-year journey. Symphoria established itself as a cooperative orchestra following the dissolution of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra in 2011. The determination of the original members who formed the cooperative made possible both the importance of integrating music into the cultural fabric … [Read more...]
Issue: April 2024
On behalf of the Governing Board, I am excited to report about our preparations for the 62nd annual ICSOM Conference, set to take place from August 21–24 in Portland, OR. The agenda boasts diverse presentations, covering crucial topics such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; tackling issues like sexual harassment; and exploring strategies for internal organizing. In addition to these sessions, … [Read more...]
Issue: April 2024
As ICSOM President, I have had the privilege of meeting and interacting with many musicians. Here are three that come to mind whenever I need a moment to be inspired and encouraged about our future. Violist Rebecca Matayoshi Last spring I interviewed the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra's current ICSOM delegate, violist Rebecca Matayoshi, for our "Musician Profiles: Celebrating Racial Diversity" … [Read more...]
Issue: April 2024
At the Baltimore Symphony, we are navigating a long and winding road back to deploying a full stage of full-time musicians! From the 1970s until 2003, the Baltimore Symphony consisted of 96 onstage musicians and two librarians, all 98 of whom were in the bargaining unit. In 2003 Baltimore Symphony Musicians allowed four vacancies “on a temporary basis” for the first time in a concessionary … [Read more...]
Issue: April 2024
In January 1974, a vibrant, 30-year-old conductor stepped onto the podium at the War Memorial Opera House and conducted the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) in a knockout performance of the Ninth Symphony by Gustav Mahler. On January 27, 2024, fifty years seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye as Michael Tilson Thomas again stood before the SFS, and with bittersweet gratitude evident in every … [Read more...]
Issue: April 2024
Just prior to the 2023 ICSOM Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, my predecessor, Peter de Boor, and I made a visit to Colonial Quality Printing (CQP) where we got to tour the facility that does the printing of Senza Sordino and the ICSOM Directory. Printing represents the final step for an issue of Senza Sordino, and before I discuss what goes on in the shop, I want to describe the process of … [Read more...]
