Drew McManus on the Orchestra business | est. 2003

Midlife Crisis Or Chrysalis?

Thu, Jul 7, 2010
Deadlines are ruling my week but that’s a good thing for you since it means I can make today’s post a straightforward pointer. Conductor Jacob Harrison published an intriguing post on 7/5/2010 that expands on the burgeoning “Relevance” discussion (frankly, I’m not sure what to call it). Regardless of whether you see the discussion as

Good For Philadelphia

Wed, Jul 7, 2010
The 7/1/2010 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer published an article by Classical Music Critic Peter Dobrin that reports the Philadelphia Orchestra and Philly Pops have decided not to pursue plans for the former to absorb the latter. Regardless the reasons, it’s good to see that both groups were willing to honestly examine the situation and

Editorial Cartoon: Brusilow’s Big Top

Tue, Jul 7, 2010
It seems that the Richardson Symphony Orchestra (RSO) situation is catching the attention of a diverse cross section of readers including none other than Dixon, the ever-sharp mind behind the hit orchestra biz comic strip, Who’s Minding The Score? Apparently, the entire to-do has him so inspired that he went out and bought a box

Artistic Quality And Dynamic Consequences

Mon, Jul 7, 2010
It is no secret that the field as a whole is working day by day to manage debt and maintain stability. At the same time, maintaining artistic quality in light of necessary budget cuts is a tight rope no one enjoys walking but it gets a little easier if everyone works together. Failing that, decisions

In Richardson, The Battle Begins

Fri, Jul 7, 2010
It seems that the board of the Richardson Symphony Orchestra (RSO) has decided to discontinue bargaining with their musicians in advance of the current collective bargaining agreement expiration date of August 31, 2010. They also informed patrons in a letter dated 7/1/2010 that in addition to suspending negotiations, they “will not be renegotiating a collective