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: 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: March 2016
Each orchestra seems to have something uniquely its own, something recognized locally and especially nationally as a defining characteristic. The St. Louis Symphony’s signature, for many decades, has been contemporary music. At different points in its history, St. Louis has run with this reputation, touring and recording to show off its perceived strength. In the days of “Composers-in-Residence”, … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2015
Each season, ICSOM maintains a list of positive news articles and studies that demonstrate the resiliency of our orchestras, and the sustainability of artistic organizations. This information can be used to demonstrate that success is occurring for many orchestras, and that success is achievable for organizations that are portrayed as being in a troubled position. The latest Giving USA study, … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2015
ICSOM at the Grammys On February 8, the St. Louis Symphony’s recording of John Adams’ City Noir won the Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance. The recording, with David Robertson conducting, is on the Nonesuch label, and includes two recent Adams compositions: City Noir, and the Saxophone Concerto, featuring soloist Timothy McAllister. Both were recorded live at Powell Symphony Hall … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2013
At the beginning of April, musicians and management of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra reached agreement on a new two-year contract. The musicians’ negotiating committee supplied the details that follow. After unilaterally declaring an impasse in September 2012, management imposed a 20% reduction in base salaries and reduced the season from 37 to 33 weeks. The musicians filed a bad faith … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2011
When it was realized years ago that a $2.5 million to $3 million deficit for the St. Louis Symphony wasn’t going away by itself, a decision was made to embrace it in a most creative and energizing way. A donor was found who would make up the difference for the next few years, but, on the books and in PR, the deficit still showed. The rational, gradual timeline for eliminating this deficit, by … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2010
As the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra begins its 131st season, many of the musicians (especially us old-timers) look back in amazement at the shambles things were just a few years ago. After a matched gift of over $80 million, management began operating like a bank, putting all its eggs in the endowment basket and hinging its future plans on endowment draw. When the basket handle broke, we were … [Read more...]
