Today’s headline is an excerpt from a piece by San Francisco Chronicle music critic, Joshua Kosman, in an article that was published on 6/19/2011. Kosman’s article is the latest in a growing chorus of voices within the extended field that are taking a much harder look at the root of problems among performing arts organizations since the economic downturn…
Governance
The League: Then And Now
I had the opportunity to watch the opening segment of the League’s Red Alert! plenary session which consisted of a speech from League CEO Jesse Rosen. He read a list of current orchestra bankruptcies (Philadelphia, Syracuse, Honolulu, New Mexico, & Louisville) and defined them as “critical situations” that have “erupted” since 2008. He said they are not the result of cyclical economic cycles but are structural in nature, but that’s not what the League was saying several years ago…
Accountability: A Referendum On You
Last week was a abuzz with Philadelphia Orchestra Association (POA) bankruptcy news at the Philadelphia Inquirer. It published op-ed articles on 5/18/2011 about the POA’s bankruptcy decision from board chair Richard B. Worley and musician spokesperson and cellist John Koen. On 5/19/2011 classical music critic Peter Dobrin posted a commentary piece that cast reservations on the POA’s recent “Listen With Your Heart” campaign but perhaps the largest cause for concern came on 5/22/2011…
Looking Back To Move Forward In Philadelphia
The 5/8/2011 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer published an extensive article by Peter Dobrin which takes a very hard look at the Philadelphia Orchestra Association (POA) bankruptcy filing in a much broader sense than we’ve seen elsewhere to date. In particular, issues of accountability are brought to light…
Syracuse Board Votes To Liquidate
The 4/5/2011 edition of the Syracuse Post-Standard published an article by Melinda Johnson which reports the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra (SSO) board elected to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy by a vote of 15 for and two against…