Drew McManus on the Orchestra business | est. 2003

Negotiation News From Indianapolis

Mon, Sep 9, 2009
According to a 9/11/2009 press release issued by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Committee, the musicians rejected a final offer from the management of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO). The ratification vote came a week after the ISO announced a list of guest conductors replacing former ISO music director, Mario Venzago, for the 2009/10 season…

Fun With Food Metaphors

Fri, Sep 9, 2009
Holly Mulcahy posted an intriguing piece earlier this week about the perils of program substitutions entitled Sorry, we’re fresh out of Mahler. The piece does an excellent job at expanding on some of the points covered in an article here from 9/3/2009 and one aspect I enjoyed most about Mulchay’s article is how it uses

Free = Good. Free + Big Screens = Better.

Thu, Sep 9, 2009
From out of the gloomy mist that has characterized business news the past few weeks, a bright and shiny silver lining is threading its way across several cities this weekend in the form of free simulcast concerts. For the past few years, operas have dominated this niche but this season, the Nashville Symphony jumps on

A Matter Of Representation

Wed, Sep 9, 2009
Hot off the heels of the personality vs. process post a few days ago that examined the current conflict between the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and its player conferences, the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) went public with a list of objections against the current AFM leadership. The material includes numerous

The Trouble With Balanced Budget Requirements

Tue, Sep 9, 2009
It is easy to see the benefits of adopting a balanced budget requirement; it helps ensure fiscal stability, promotes responsible spending, and under certain conditions it can even serve to motivate contributed revenue development. But when balanced budget requirements are crafted with too much rigidity, they can harm nonprofit performing arts organizations during periods when
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