An All Around Day Of Downer News

A few items of note to point today: the first from Detroit where it seems like both sides in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) dispute are having some trouble working through the necessary issues in order to even consider arbitration. And by trouble, I mean a continuation of the same fundamental separation on the most critical issues related to the season killing work stoppage…

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Thursday News Roundup

It’s been another eventful week. The Boston Symphony Orchestra announced that music director James Levine will be stepping down as of 9/1/2011 but no word on emeritus status while in New York City, the Metropolitan Opera says “Levine intends to fulfill his schedule here for the remainder of this season and in future seasons”…

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With Friends Like These…

The 2/13/2011 edition of the Washington Post published an article by Peter Marks that does an excellent job of covering the explosive remarks by NEA chair Rocco Landesman made during a recent theater conference. At issue is his response to the question about the declining audience figures for the arts…

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Americans For The Arts Taking Action Against NEA Cuts

Kudos to Americans for the Arts and their recent efforts to push back against growing momentum by the Republican Study Committee for a proposal to drastically cut National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) funding for the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year…

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Muti Faints During Rehearsal, Slatkin Fills In

In a different time and place, I would have though the press release from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announcing that music director Riccardo Muti became ill and fainting during Thursday’s rehearsal and Leonard Slatkin was going to fill in was a gag. But sure enough, Muti was ill and taken to a local hospital although all reports seem to indicate that he will be fine. And yes, Slatkin took over the concert…

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