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Issue: March 2008
On February 7, 2008, the New York Philharmonic embarked on a three-week tour of Asia, playing 13 concerts in Taipei, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Pyongyang, and Seoul. It was an emotional roller coaster that few of us were prepared for. When the Philharmonic first received an invitation from the North Korean government (otherwise known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
In the immortal words of Roseanne Roseannadanna, “It’s always something.” No sooner had I returned from a whirlwind three-day visit to Jacksonville—a trip that saw a settlement of the egregious lockout of the musicians of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra—than we heard disturbing news from the Midwest. The board and management of the Columbus Symphony had secretly devised an insidious “plan” … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2008
In December I attended the Recording Musicians Association (RMA) conference that was held in Nashville. (How convenient for me!) This conference is very intimate, with guests sometimes outnumbering the delegates! During the RMA conference, Maureen Kilkelly, Executive Director of the American Federation of Musicians and Employers Pension Fund (AFM-EPF, or the Fund), gave a very informative … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2008
ICSOM and Education Education was the topic for a breakout session at last summer’s ICSOM Conference. The ICSOM Governing Board heard a clear mandate to address this topic further. In an effort to address the need for our colleagues to remain informed about education and how it impacts our institutions, Senza Sordino will continue to produce articles exploring various aspects of education in … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2008
Newslets are compiled with the help of ICSOM’s delegates and members at large from sources that include direct submissions, member orchestra websites, and topical news items. The editor encourages input and submissions. In January, months before contract negotiations were to begin, the management and the board of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra publicly issued a 50-page strategic plan … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2008
Delegates attending the 2004 ICSOM Conference in Salt Lake City will remember a discussion forum headed by ICSOM Counsel Leonard Leibowitz and then-Member at Large Richard Levine. The topic was structural deficits, a buzzword that had been appearing at bargaining tables around the country. That discussion, which centered on whether orchestra financial problems were cyclical or structural, was … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2008
In recent days, there has been a great deal of discussion regarding the release of a report by economist Robert J. Flanagan, commissioned by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, titled “The Economic Environment of American Symphony Orchestras.” On behalf of the ICSOM Governing Board, I thought I would share some brief observations about the report and the work of Mellon as well as the oft-referred to … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2008
I have certainly seen my share of stressful and contentious contract negotiations in my 35-year career with the Houston Symphony. My last stint on the negotiating committee was in 2003, the negotiations that resulted in the first strike called by the musicians of the Houston Symphony. During those negotiations, our negotiation committee held out until March against pressure from musicians to … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2008
Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra The musicians of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra would like to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to everyone who supported us during our lockout. The support of our colleagues touched, inspired and sustained us during our ordeal. We were surprised and overwhelmed by your generous support and kind words. Also, ICSOM Chair Bruce Ridge and SSD … [Read more...]
