Issue: March 2021
In response to the Coronavirus, the vast majority of ICSOM orchestras have continued to employ their musicians under modified structures, but a select few have instead cancelled either a portion or the entirety of their 2020–21 seasons, shutting down entirely and leaving furloughed musicians to rely on unemployment and stimulus checks. Among others, the musicians of the Indianapolis Symphony … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2020
The Musicians of the Nashville Symphony have been furloughed, with little or no expectation of returning to work, since management cancelled the entire 44-week 2020–21 season on July 1. (Note: after this article was written, the NSO musicians ratified an agreement under which they will begin receiving a modest weekly stipend in January; the details will be in a forthcoming settlement … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2020
Detroit Moves Fast The last two weeks of January were eventful ones for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. On January 22, the DSO announced that Italian conductor Jader Bignamini has been appointed Music Director, beginning with the 2020-2021 season. Bignamini was first introduced to the DSO in the spring of 2018, stepping in at the last minute for Leonard Slatkin in concert performances of … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
As it becomes increasingly clear that diversity in our orchestras must be a priority moving into the future, more opportunities to facilitate that goal are being created within our industry each year. The National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS) is an unprecedented national initiative created by the Sphinx Organization (which is the program leader and fiscal administrator of NAAS), the New … [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: March 2018
ICSOM at the Grammys A number of ICSOM orchestras released recordings in 2017 that captured Grammy awards, announced at the 60th annual ceremony on January 28. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s recording of Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 and Barber Adagio for Strings won the awards for Best Orchestral Performance and Best Engineered Album, Classical. The performances were conducted by the … [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: March 2017
ICSOM at the Grammys At the 59th annual Grammy awards on February 12, the Nashville Symphony’s album Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway; American Gothic; Once Upon A Castle won awards in three categories: Best Classical Compendium, Best Classical Contemporary Composition, and Best Classical Instrumental Solo. The last two awards were specifically for Tales of Hemingway, featuring cellist Zuill Bailey. … [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: June 2016
AFM Convention in Las Vegas The AFM will hold its 100th convention June 20–23, at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Among more than 250 delegates will be many who are active and emeritus members of ICSOM orchestras; included in roughly 160 AFM Locals sending delegates will be the 42 Locals that have one or more ICSOM orchestras. The triennial convention will see the election of … [Read more...]
