Drew McManus on the orchestra business.
The latest round of negotiations between the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and their musicians have yet to produce a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Moreover, both sides are firmly entrenched into what have become do-or-die outcomes. The only new development is the employer offered a play and talk agreement under the terms of the now expired agreement with an expiration date of December 31, 2019. The musicians held a vote on …
Update: 9:10am CT: BSO musicians file unfair labor practice. Wednesday, 9/11/19, is the next threshold in the ongoing Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) work stoppage. Technically, the employer has ended their lockout and is offering musicians work but that seemingly simple term has a gargantuan asterisk attached. The problem is there’s still no new contract nor is there any indication of the terms the employer is offering if the musicians return. Are …
The ongoing work stoppage at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) doesn’t appear to be improving. Over the past few weeks, there has been little discussion and a recent meeting initiated by the Maryland General Assembly produced anything buy tangible results. On 8/21/2019, the BSO musicians issued a press statement stating that the employer rejected their request to be a part of ongoing strategic decision-making processes. Details about what that entails exactly, …
Veteran music critic and cultural reporter Tim Smith published an article at his personal blog on 7/29/2019 that examined the conspicuous silence from Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) music director Marin Alsop when it comes to the summer season squashing, gala gouging lockout. I think there’s one person who can cause a major shift in the BSO’s fate, the one person who stands to lose a heckuva lot (not just a hefty …
While I wish we had brighter Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) news, that’s not in the cards. In fact, things seem to be moving toward a self-fulfilling prophecy stage. Last week, the BSO announced it was cancelling their season opening gala that would have featured Renee Fleming. While it’s definitely a good thing to offer patrons plenty of advance notice for cancellations, eight weeks is jumping the gun. Especially for one of …