Issue: June 2017
Executive Changes In March, the New York Philharmonic announced that Deborah Borda, longtime President of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, would be replacing Matthew VanBesien as President and CEO, in September. The move represents a return for Borda, who previously served as the Executive Director of the New York orchestra from 1991 to 1999. In Los Angeles she oversaw the construction of the Walt … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is a critical part of funding for the non-profit arts sector. Despite the miniscule amount of Federal money allocated to the NEA (0.004% of the 2016 fiscal budget), NEA grants spur giving from private sources, foundations, corporations, and individual contributors. On average, each NEA dollar generates another nine dollars from state, local, and private … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2016
Detroit Honors Exceptional Giving The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) recently celebrated the extraordinary generosity of Peter Cummings and his wife Julie, whose accumulated giving to the DSO has exceeded $10 million. The Music Box, a multi-purpose entertaining space, was renamed the Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings Cube. The Cube is located within the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2015
New Leadership in Cleveland and Atlanta The Cleveland Orchestra announced that its next Executive Director would be André Gremillet. He will succeed Gary Hansen, who will be retiring with more than 27 years service to the orchestra, including almost 12 years as Executive Director. Gremillet, who is a Quebec native and a conservatory-trained pianist, has previously served as President and CEO of … [Read more...]
Issue: November 2011
The San Francisco Opera Company completed an immensely successful Ring Cycle in July—the first Ring Cycle in San Francisco since 1999. At a time when the relevance and significance of the art form are being seriously and repeatedly questioned, the measure of this production’s success is not confined to the numerous accolades garnered by the company and everyone associated with it, as this Ring … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2010
The New York City Opera, after a year of being homeless, is very much alive and thriving back home in the newly renovated David H. Koch Theater (formerly the NY State Theater). The orchestra committee reports that, most importantly for the orchestra, the renovations include a wonderful, enlarged pit, which can be raised to various heights—including stage level—enabling the theater to be used for … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2008
It is important to pass along our memories about the formation and advancement of our orchestras, for orchestra histories can reveal a great deal. Just take a look at our collective bargaining agreements—between the lines they document many instances of improvements and abuses that explain what might otherwise remain puzzling. I suspect there are a great many stories attached to CBA clauses that … [Read more...]
Issue: July 2006
Minnesota Orchestra’s ICSOM delegate, librarian Paul Gunther, was recently named the administrator of ICSOM’s mailing lists. Paul reports that the Minnesota Orchestra will tour European summer festivals at the end of August. Because of the tour, this may be the first ICSOM Conference that will see no delegate from the Minnesota Orchestra in attendance. Another consequence of the August tour will … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2005
The 2004–05 season marks the Indianapolis Symphony’s 75th anniversary. There have been many activities to celebrate the occasion, including a local half-hour PBS special and a new book about the orchestra’s history entitled Crescendo (advertised in the International Musician). Indianapolis has just ended a CEO search that included musician involvement. Replacing the retiring CEO, Richard … [Read more...]
