Drew McManus on the Orchestra business | est. 2003

TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Sir Andrew Davis

Tue, Apr 4, 2009
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
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
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

TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Giancarlo Guerrero

Thu, Apr 4, 2009
Now that we have a good idea of what makes classical music special and the importance of non-musical elements on the overall concert experience along with taking an amusing look at concertgoing stereotypes, it is time to hear from an artistic leader at an organization that has been successfully putting all of this into practice.

TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Molly Sheridan

Wed, Apr 4, 2009
If we could see tomorrow’s audience today, I hope it looks like Molly Sheridan. The new cultural countess of cool is always charming, infinitely intriguing, and – most importantly – never dull. Being the new media maven she is, Molly wasn’t content with writing something for this year’s Take A Friend To Orchestra (TAFTO) event;

TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Janelle Gelfand

Tue, Apr 4, 2009
Now that we know what makes classical music so valuable, it is time to examine the other elements that can make or break a concert event. Fortunately for us, Cincinnati Enquirer music critic Janelle Gelfand has taken the time to create a contribution that does exactly that. What’s more, her contribution presents solid evidence pointing

TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Matthew Guerrieri

Mon, Apr 4, 2009
Just when you think Take A Friend To Orchestra (TAFTO) creativity has reached terminal velocity, a contributor comes along to remind us otherwise. Case in point, Soho The Dog’s Matthew Guerrieri whose contribution reminds us what makes classical music so valuable in the first place. What’s more, he sums up what would normally take hours

Things That Make you Go “Buh?” Brooklyn Phil

Fri, Apr 4, 2009
The 4/14/2009 edition of The Brooklyn Paper published an article by Mike McLaughlin that reports composer Nathan Currier is suing the Brooklyn Philharmonic for making him cut sections of his piece, Gaian Variations, during the 2004 world premiere. According to the article, then Brooklyn Phil Executive Director, Catherine Cahill, approached Currier during the concert-length performance’s

IMG Artists Chairman Guilty Of Securities Fraud

Thu, Apr 4, 2009
The 4/15/2009 edition of The Dallas Morning News published an article by Brendan Case that reports former Dallas hedge fund manager Barrett Wissman “pleaded guilty to securities fraud in connection with his role in an alleged kickback scheme involving New York state’s largest pension fund.” In 2003, when talent management agency IMG decided to jettison

A New, New Media Guide

Wed, Apr 4, 2009
Recently, Marc Van Bree published a free eBook about orchestras and new media that serves as the latest episode in his series on the topic. Coming in at 56 pages, Marc’s book is filled with useful info but if you don’t have time to process the entire document, I strongly recommend that public relations and
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