Drew McManus on the orchestra business.
Of all the news items I expected to see over the weekend, one that was no where near my radar was the surprise from Joshua Kosman reporting that Mark C. Hanson, CEO of the San Francisco Symphony, will step down from the position Aug. 31, 2021. “The San Francisco Symphony is a dynamic organization, and it has been a true honor to lead them through complex transitions and challenges,” he said …
I doubt the editors at The Chronicle Of Philanthropy thought the decision to publish an op-ed by Vincent Robinson trying to convince readers that including salary figures was a bad thing, especially for diversity, would garner a tidal wave of pushback but that’s exactly what happened. On July 12, 2021 they published a letter to the editor from Mike Geiger, President and CEO of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, where he …
Assuming The Metropolitan Opera doesn’t settle the ongoing labor dispute with Musicians beforehand, July 18 may be the earliest date for details to emerge about the recent tentative agreement between the employer and IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees). July 18 is the date IATSE members plan to hold their ratification meeting so it’s reasonable to assume that will be the earliest we can expect to see reliable details about the …
I am happy to report that Season 2 for Shop Talk is officially in production! We have several episodes scheduled and one of the first will include the most comprehensive collection of stakeholders in a single discussion talking about the process that ultimately produced their side letter for maintaining artistic activity over the pandemic. It’s going to be a fabulous discussion. Here are some additional topics you can look forward to: …
It’s no secret that even the best marketing campaigns are worthless if something prevents your target from completing the transaction. Consequently, the more we know about those hurdles, the better. For most performing arts organizations, allowing ticket buyers to select their own seats is a strong selling point. But if online buyers find that process frustrating, that strength becomes a weakness. To that end, the more the sector as a whole …