Details from the WCO Settlement
Thu, May 5, 2009
by Drew McManus
Over the course of 2009 Take A Friend To Orchestra month, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (WCO) reached a settlement; however, news reports have not focused on the agreement’s details. But since this is a negotiation we’ve been following for several months, it seems appropriate to examine some of those details, especially those sticking points that
Honolulu Lays It On The Line
Wed, May 5, 2009
by Drew McManus
The Sunday, 5/3/2009 edition of the Honolulu Advertiser published an article by Ruth Bingham that reports on the Honolulu Symphony’s latest fundraising effort to stave off financial insolvency. According to the article, the orchestra’s stakeholders have not been paid in nearly three months and although it isn’t mentioned in the article, some stakeholders have stopped
Assessing Cultural Confidence As Seasons’ End Approaches
Mon, May 5, 2009
by Drew McManus
The latest polling cycle indicates cultural confidence levels are sinking slowly as the percentage of respondents indicating they believe economic conditions by the end of the season will be poor increased by the largest percentage since early February. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that with only several weeks left in most orchestra’s 2008/09 season,
TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Oh Snap!
Fri, May 5, 2009
by Drew McManus
It was bound to happen sometime and it looks like the 2009 Take A Friend To Orchestra (TAFTO) month will have to come up one contribution short. My apologies to everyone stopping by for today’s contribution from Andrew Patner but due to a series of wacky events, we’ll have to leave you hanging. Nonetheless, you’ll
TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Philip Paschke
Thu, Apr 4, 2009
by Drew McManus
It’s always a pleasure to see orchestras get involved with Take A Friend To Orchestra (TAFTO) month and it’s equally thrilling to see the idea spread across the border to Canada. In today’s contribution, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) New Media Specialist (I like how orchestras are defining these new positions), Philip Paschke, chronicles his organization’s
TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Curt Long
Wed, Apr 4, 2009
by Drew McManus
Curt Long is a perfect example of the sort of fantastic orchestra executives you don’t hear enough about. After a long and successful tenure as Dayton Philharmonic’s executive director, he recently assumed the same duties with the Alabama Symphony. Curt’s Take A Friend To Orchestra (TAFTO) contribution focuses on how orchestras need to get outside
TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Sir Andrew Davis
Tue, Apr 4, 2009
by Drew McManus
It isn’t uncommon for one of Take A Friend To Orchestra (TAFTO) month’s contributors to play a little hypothetical artistic programming in his/her essay and for most, that’s as far as the exercise goes. But Sir Andrew Davis is a member of the limited club of music professionals who enjoys that responsibility on a regular
TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Brian Bell
Mon, Apr 4, 2009
by Drew McManus
When it comes to Take A Friend To Orchestra (TAFTO) 2009 contributions, listening is the new reading. Then again, why would anyone be surprised that someone with more than 30 years experience and hundreds of recorded interviews with classical musicians from all walks of life wouldn’t want to put his TAFTO contribution in recorded format?
TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Alan Valentine
Fri, Apr 4, 2009
by Drew McManus
Just in case you’ve missed the point that what makes classical music enduring is its street cred built off of shocking the bourgeoisie before there was a bourgeoisie, Nashville Symphony President & CEO, Alan Valentine, steps in with a contemporary example of what history has been telling us for decades. It’s amazing what you can
Additional Fallout From The IMG Artists Scandal