Are There Problems With NY City Opera’s Kickstarter Campaign?

Is the New York City Opera (NYCO) muddying the waters for nonprofit performing arts groups with their current Kickstarter campaign? Ever since the NYCO announced its Kickstarter campaign to raise $1 million to “produce a 2013–2014 season” a number of colleagues have contacted me expressing concerns that the broad all or nothing fundraising campaign violates Kickstarter’s fundraising guidelines. According to Kickstarter’s funding platform for creative projects, a project is defined as …

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Minnesota Burnout

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Anyone else getting burnt out over Minnesota Orchestra Association (MOA) news? It’s bad enough that newsworthy developments are perhaps better defined as regifted spin; consequently, today is the last MOA post at Adaptistration until something profound transpires such as Vanska resigns, an agreement is reached, or something equally shocking takes place (keep in mind, I’m jaded so this will need to reach levels of nuclear powered swine aeronautics to cross my …

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Talking About The Minnesota Orchestra With WWFM’s Rachel Katz

WWFM, The Classical Network, broadcast an episode of A Tempo with host Rachel Katz on 9/7/2013 where I had the privilege of talking with Katz about some of the broader issues related to the Minnesota Orchestra Association (MOA) labor dispute such as proposed work rule changes and musician duties and responsibilities along with how all of this fits into today’s contemporary bargaining environment. It is interesting to listen to the interview …

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Minnesota’s Eleventh(ish) Hour

Although it was anticipated that Minnesota Orchestra Association (MOA) music director Osmo Vanska would make a decision this week about whether or not he would resign, it appears that the cycle of hurry up and wait has been extended to 9/30/2013. And when they say the 30th that apparently means the 15th. Confused? You should be. Specifically, although Vanska has apparently indicated that he now needs rehearsals to resume by the …

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NY City Opera’s New Model Sputters Before It Starts

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Hot on the heels of massive concessions won in spite of widespread and intense artist pushback, the New York City Opera (NYCO) is failing to achieve the sustainability it claimed would follow the controversial model that general manager and artistic director George Steel described as “paying people only for the work that they do.” Steel’s full quote, from a 2012 NYCO press statement and subsequently published by WQXR, was the crux …

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