Drew McManus on the Orchestra business | est. 2003

A Happy Follow-Up On Charlotte

Thu, Dec 12, 2009
Thanks to Charlotte Symphony Executive Director Jonathan Martin for sending along a press release announcing that the organization has successfully raised the remaining balance of their $1.77 million fundraising goal, details of which were published in yesterday’s post…

A Bright Note Before Christmas

Wed, Dec 12, 2009
Following a series of setbacks that might have been the beginning of the end for other groups, the Charlotte Symphony is less than $100,000 away from its goal of raising $1.77 million by the end of 2009. The fundraising success follows the appointment of Jonathan Martin as Executive Director, who when asked about the goal

“We Can’t Be At The Mercy Of Every Economic Cycle”

Tue, Dec 12, 2009
Today’s headline is a quote from Dennis LaBarre, Cleveland Orchestra’s board president elect. An article in the 12/20/2009 edition of the Cleveland Plain Dealer by Zachary Lewis does a good job at examining the challenges in store for the organization. I was pleased when Lewis contacted me to ask about current thinking throughout the field

7-11

Mon, Dec 12, 2009
At last week’s Midwest Clinic, a colleague asked about the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra’s (HSO) impending bankruptcy. She was curious why the board decided to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy (known as reorganization or rehabilitation bankruptcy) as opposed to Chapter 7 (also called liquidation bankruptcy). At the core of the conversation was the HSO’s plan to reorganize

Secret Lives Of Great Composers

Fri, Dec 12, 2009
You have to love serendipity. A few months ago, I came across a new release in my neighborhood book store, Secret Lives of Great Composers: What Your Teachers Never Told You About the World’s Musical Masters by Elizabeth Lunday. I spent a good 20 minutes reading the book and was going to buy a copy