2008 Orchestra Website Review: What’s New & Evaluation Criteria

Now in its fifth year, The Orchestra Website Review generates a great deal of interest regarding how orchestras of vastly different budget size can be compared on an even playing field. Happily, the answer is very straightforward…

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New Feature: The Cultural Confidence Indicator

Yesterday’s poll asking readers to rate the current economic conditions at their respective performing arts organization as well as rate where they believe those same conditions will exist by the end of the 2008/09 season generated some fascinating results, some good and some bad…

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Poll: The Cultural Confidence Level

The 10/1/08 article about the impact of the economy generated some fascinating responses, albeit all private. Most of which predicted that the downturn in economic conditions will have a very negative impact on the immediate future for most performing arts organizations. As such, I’m curious to learn more about a wider range of readers think…

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Revisiting Disposable Labor

The 10/7/08 edition of MusicalAmerica.com published an article by Frank Cadenhead which reports that conductor Volker Hartung was convicted of “clandestine work” and sentenced him to three months in jail and a 10,000 Euros fine by a court in Strasbourg on 10/3/08. Long time Adaptistration readers will remember Hartung from a series of articles over 2005 and 2006 which chronicle Hartung’s original arrest in France for violating French Labor Law by underpaying musicians…

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Latest Strike News

On Thursday, October 2, 2008 the musicians of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra (SSO) went on strike. After approximately one year of bargaining sessions which failed to produce a new collective bargaining agreement, SSO presented musicians on 6/1/2008 with individual agreements entitled “SHREVEPORT SYMPHONY, INC. – MUSICIAN AGREEMENT” which state terms of compensation through 2011…

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