Drew McManus on the Orchestra business | est. 2003

Down To The Wire In Indianapolis

Thu, Jan 1, 2013
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is a few weeks out from their February 3, 2013 deadline to raise $5 million. The goal is part of a deal that brought performances back to the public and ended an increasingly hostile labor dispute. Functioning as something akin to a cease-fire agreement, the board accepted the goal of

Leadership Turnover In Louisville

Wed, Jan 1, 2013
The 1/13/2013 edition of the Louisville Courier-Journal published an article by Grace Schneider which reports two key leadership position changes at the Louisville Orchestral. CEO Robert Birman will be leaving his position February 1, 2013 and board president-elect Bill Lamb resigned from his position last week. Birman was at the center of a prolonged and

Tough Choices Ahead for New Jersey

Tue, Jan 1, 2013
In the wake of the Richard Dare resignation incident examined in yesterday’s article, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) finds itself in an unenviable position of damage control. The most pressing issues are related to what appears to be a breakdown in due diligence during the executive search process. Look Below The Surface Perhaps unsurprisingly,

Dare To Do Your Diligence

Mon, Jan 1, 2013
In case you missed the bombshell news over the weekend, the New York Times published an article by Dan Wakin on 1/11/2013 which reported recently hired New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) President & CEO Richard Dare had quit in light of a 1996 case in which he was charged with an “attempted lewd act upon”

Two Heads Are Better Than One

Fri, Jan 1, 2013
In case you’ve been missing it this week, a bit of YouTube viral madness has been making the rounds thanks to a video created by New York Philharmonic trombonist David Finlayson, who attached a GoPro camera to the slide of his trombone. The resulting slide POV clip caught made the rounds through network morning programs