Month: February 2013

Seven Minutes To Midnight On The Minnesota Orchestra Doomsday Clock

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Although James R. Oestreich’s article in the 2/6/2013 edition of the New York Times doesn’t provide any new information to those already up to speed with the Minnesota Orchestra Association (MOA) labor dispute, it does provide a somber reminder that the entire debacle is wearing thin. It has grown increasingly clear that this dispute has become more about the fight than the mission (which, ironically, is one of the disputed contract …

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Don’t Be A Micromanager From Hell

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In the deepest recesses of my soul I know I’m a micromanager. Or to be more precise, a perfectionist, workaholic, micromanager that is fortunate enough to make a self employed living so I can keep the obsessive tendencies tightly locked away when working with others but let them run free when I’m flying solo and things need to get done. But it’s these delightfully compulsive tendencies that let me love what …

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Apparently Something Happened In Indianapolis

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Remember the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s (ISO) big, ugly, and very public labor dispute and work stoppage? It was temporarily suspended thanks to a bridge agreement that included a board goal of raising $5 million by the beginning of February. That deadline recently passed and the ISO issued a press release on 2/3/2013 stating they exceeded their goal. Unfortunately, there aren’t many details and the local Indianapolis press has been more or …

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Interesting Developments In Denver

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The 2/1/2013 edition of the Denver Post reports that Colorado Symphony Orchestra (CSO) CEO Gene Sobczak has decided to leave the organization. Sobczak leaves the position after stepping in for one year following the ugly and very public board split led by former CSO board chair and current League of American Orchestras board officer Bruce Clinton. The Post article, by Ray Mark Rinaldi, reports that the CSO will fill Sobczak’s position …

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A Momentary Respite In Minnesota

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On Friday, 2/1/2013 the Minnesota Orchestra came together again to play as an ensemble under their music director, Osmo Vanska, for the first time since the lockout that has obliterated the 2012-13 season started. There are numerous reports about the sold-out and emotionally charged concert but after the applause, all that remains is the reality of a continued work stoppage. The fact that Vanska conducted the concert is nothing short of …

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