Drew McManus on the orchestra business.
In the wake of Minnesota Orchestra Association (MOA) music director Osmo Vänskä’s intent to resign if the organization doesn’t end the season killing work stoppage, all stakeholders have dug in deeper, refusing to give an inch of ground. Furious digging activity occurred almost immediately after Vänskä’s letter went public. According to an article in the 5/3/2013 edition of the Star Tribune in an article by Graydon Royce, MOA board chair Jon …
The Minnesota Orchestra Association (MOA) moved another minute closer to doomsday this week in the wake of three key events: Music Director Osmo Vänskä’s publicly stated threshold for resignation, the loss of principal clarinet Burt Hara, and a commentary article authored by two members of the MOA negotiating committee which appeared in the 4/26/2013 edition of minnpost.com. In this case, doomsday is marked by organizational collapse and subsequent liquidation bankruptcy. The …
It appears that the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) is going to pick up the shards of what’s left from the 2012/13 season. On 4/29/2013, the musicians ratified a new collective bargaining agreement but there continues to be very little love between stakeholders. The musicians came out swinging by paring the ratification announcement with a demand that the SPCO board to replace current president Dobson West and begin growing revenue. [the …
Shortly before the Minnesota Orchestra (MO) initiated what would become a season killing work stoppage, MO violist Sam Bergman used to co-author a very popular blog with the orchestra’s Principal Conductor of Pops and Presentations, Sarah Hicks, built around the MO’s Inside The Classics outreach program. Unfortunately, the blog was cut off on 8/27/2012 following an admin notice stating that section of the MO website was being redesigned. Eight months later, …
The Minnesota Orchestra Association (MOA) moved another minute closer to doomsday this week following a decision to cancel concerts through May 12, 2013; in this case, doomsday is marked by organizational collapse and subsequent liquidation bankruptcy. If the cancelation weren’t reason enough, the MOA decided to set aside the progress that appeared to be taking place in the form of both sides agreeing to terms for a financial analysis, and break …