Drew McManus on the orchestra business.
We live in a time where the Top 0.1% own more than the bottom 80% but we hear more and more about donor burnout. US nonprofit performing arts organizations, and by extension artists, rely on the largess of these large donors so why are they not stepping up to strengthen safety nets to similar levels seen in countries like Germany? The answers require going all the back to the Revenue Act …
This is the second in a series of podcasts focusing on the topic of what orchestras of all budget size should be considering when planning for post-COVID concert activity. This installment focuses on what musicians think so I invited a trio from each major section of an orchestra: strings, brass, and winds. Guests Jon Boen, Catherine Chen, and Yumi Hwang-Williams, talk about their views on the topic. It is an all …
Everyone is in for such a treat with tomorrow’s Shop Talk episode on the topic of what orchestras of all budget size should be considering when planning for post-COVID concert activity. This installment features a panel of musician stakeholders and one of them, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Principal Bassoon Catherine Chen, proposed one of the most thought-provoking considerations. Specifically, she was concerned not only about the very real physical risks but the …
UPDATE FRIDAY 3/19: the response to this news has been so strong I decided to leave the survey up as the top post for a second day in a row. There have been a number of excellent suggestions coming in with responses, thank you and keep them coming! Now that job postings are returning to pre-pandemic levels, I want to take Arts Admin Jobs to the next level and introduce a …
The 3/15/2021 edition of the New York Times published an article by Julia Jacobs that reports on the beleaguered Metropolitan Opera’s efforts to wage labor war on multiple fronts. Spoiler: it’s no better than where it was a few months ago. Having said that, there was one piece of news that should draw attention. Over the past year, 10 of the orchestra’s 97 members have retired. At just a hair over …