Drew McManus on the Orchestra business | est. 2003

The Negative Aspects Of Being Too Nice

Mon, Aug 8, 2004
It seems that there’s been a good bit of writing about how nice classical music has become recently.  The Washington Post ran an article that talks about how EMI took out a bad note sung by Pavarotti at La Scala and the resulting boos in extracted from the audience. The Financial Times published a piece

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire At Interlochen

Sun, Aug 8, 2004
The past several months have been a very traumatic time for me with regard to Interlochen, and the past few weeks have been the most wrenching.

Words From A Recent Interlochen Camper

Sun, Aug 8, 2004
Usually, life’s painful lessons take time to learn.  But every now and then someone will come along and see past what they feel and think in the here and now and gaze into the future. Among the flood of email responses I’ve received regarding Interlochen, there was recently a note form David Letvin, a summer camp student

The “Challenges” Facing Interlochen Part 4

Sun, Aug 8, 2004
At the conclusion of Part 3 I left off with the promise of presenting a challenge system designed to maintain the benefits of the old system as well as address some of the observations and concerns expressed to me by the more than 80 Interlochen faculty members I interviewed.

The American Anthem At The Greek Olympics

Sat, Aug 8, 2004
I just watched the medal ceremony for Michael Phelps and heard the version of the Star Spangled Banner they’ve decided to use (although I freely admit that I don’t have the first idea about “who” makes this decision). And I have to say that I don’t like the version they’ve selected at all.  As a

The “Challenges” Facing Interlochen Part 3

Sat, Aug 8, 2004
To continue where I left off in Part 2, I’ll continue analyzing the rational for eliminating the challenge system as provided during my interview with Michael Albaugh, Interlochen’s Director of Music.

Some Recent Developments And Debunking Some Spin

Fri, Aug 8, 2004
Recent DevelopmentsIt’s certainly been an interesting week in the orchestra industry.  One very interesting development is the recent announcement that Columbus Symphony Orchestra Board Chair Michael J. McMennamin has relinquished his post as chair of the Board of Trustees.  Details are covered in an article by Eileen Coyne in the August 12th edition of Columbus

Reader Response: Various Thoughts From Some “Guy”

Thu, Aug 8, 2004
Last Monday’s article produced a wonderful stream of emails from a wide assortment of readers. People wrote in to comment about my “doctor” complaint mostly in favor but a few chastised my “cavalier attitude” toward people who have “worked hard” to get that Ph.D degree. But some of the really fascinating feedback centered on the

An Interview With Dan Hart

Wed, Aug 8, 2004
I recently had the opportunity to talk to Dan Hart, the former executive director of the Columbus (OH) Symphony and the incoming executive director for the Buffalo Philharmonic…

Negotiation News From Columbus (OH)

Tue, Aug 8, 2004
This summer is unique in that it’s one of those odd years when a large percentage of orchestras across the country are negotiating new contracts simultaneously.  For the small portion of orchestras that aren’t negotiating, it’s a nice time to focus on matters at hand and look forward to the upcoming season…
Previous Next