DOS Orchestra #9 - 15 August 94

News from the world of professional orchestras.
Copyright 1994, International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians

Topics

Boston Symphony: New Principal Clarinetist

The Boston Symphony has announced that William R. Hudgins has been appointed principal clarinetist.

Hudgins joined the BSO in September 1992. Hudgins was appointed acting assistant principal after the death of long-time principal clarinet Harold Wright last summer.

The BSO also announced that Thomas Martin would be promoted to associate principal clarinet. Martin, who was assistant principal clarinet, has served as acting principal this season.

Prior to coming to the Boston Symphony, Hudgins served as principal clarinet for the Atlanta Opera, the Charleston Symphony,the Nashua Symphony and the Municipal Symphony of Caracas, Venezuela.

Chicago Symphony: Annual Fund Goal Surpassed

The Orchestral Association, parent organization of the Chicago Symphony, the Allied Arts Association, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and Orchestra Hall, reported on August 8 that it not only met but surpassed its 1934 Annual Fund goal. Well over 14,000 individuals, foundations, and corporations gave $8,685,000, an increase of $400,000 from last year and an all-time record for The Association.

"We are heartened by this demonstration of support from the Chicago community," said John M. Richman, Chairman of The Orchestral Association. "It is especially important in light of our planned renovation and expansion of Orchestra Hall and indicates a commitment to the programs which are part of the Orchestra's offerings."

The Association reported that two Annual Fund categories saw notable increases in donations from last year. Individual giving increased 6% at $4,635,800. The Civic Orchestra drive saw a 27% increase in giving, having raised $331,700 compared to last year's $260,800.

The Orchestra's volunteer program was successful in raising $636,000 from a variety of projects. The Women's Association led the way by earning $536,000 toward the effort. The Business and Professional Association and Opening Night projects made up the difference.

Los Angeles Philharmonic: Reinventing the Silent Movie

In a controversial performance, the Los Angeles Philharmonic accompanied large-screen projections of the works of German painter Mathis Grunewald with a performance of Hindemith's "Mathis der Maler" at the Hollywood Bowl on August 9. The concert, which also featured the Sibelius Violin Concerto with Gidon Kremer and "Finlandia," was conducted by LAPO music director Esa-Pekka Salonen and roundly panned by at least one critic for turning Hindemith's masterpiece into background music.

No large-screen projections of pictures of vodka bottles were used during the performance of "Finlandia."

Metropolitan Opera: Staff Conductor Thomas Fulton Dies

Thomas Fulton, 44, a staff conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, died on August 4 while vacationing in Milan, Italy. The cause of death was kidney failure.

Mr. Fulton, who was born in Memphis, Tenn., attended public schools in Mississippi and attended the University of Tennessee before entering Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 1971. He studied with Max Rudolf and David Effron, and also worked with Eugene Ormandy. He joined the Curtis faculty after graduation.

Mr. Fulton made his professional debut in 1976 with the San Francisco Opera. He joined the Metropolitan Opera as an assistant conductor in 1978 and made his official debut there in 1981. He conducted more than 20 operas for the company.

Mr. Fulton had also conducted the Orchestre National de France and the orchestras of the Paris Opera and other houses in France and Germany.

OCSM Conference: Benefit Concert for Ronald McDonald House

The annual conference of the Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians / L'Organisation des Musiciens D'Orchestres Symphoniques du Canada (OCSM) was held August 5-9 in Hamilton, Ontario. The highlight of the conference was a benefit concert at the Great Hall of Hamilton Place on August 7. The concert, which featured over 130 musicians from 18 of the 19 member orchestras of OCSM and which was conducted by Opera Hamilton Artistic Director Daniel Lipton, was a benefit for the Ronald McDonald House in Hamilton.

Over 1500 tickets were sold, and preliminary estimates are that approximately $40,000 was raised for the Ronald McDonald House. Assistance was provided by Opera Hamilton. The Hamilton Philharmonic was approached by OCSM for assistance, but, according to OCSM officials, refused to have anything to do with the event.

A highlight of the concert for the participating musicians was the presence in the brass section of Lew Waldeck, retired head of the American Federation of Musicians Symphonic Services Division. Before joining SSD, Waldeck was tubist with the New York City Opera orchestra.

The program was described as a "symphonic sampler," and consisted of movements of works of Beethoven, Berlioz, Holst, Mahler, Mozart, and Shostakovich, as well as overtures by Shipizky and Wagner.

Paris Opera: Music Director Fired in Contract Dispute

Myung Whun Chung, the Korean-born music director of the Paris Opera, has left the company in a dispute over his contract. Chung alleges that he is being forced out.

Hugues Gall, the incoming director of the Paris Opera, wanted to renegotiate Chung's contract downwards in terms of both pay and contract length. Le Monde reported that Chung was to earn at least $650,000 this season, as part of a contract that was scheduled to run through the year 2000. Gall proposed cutting three years from the contract term.

In a prepared statement, Paris Opera management said that "management was saddened that Mr. Chung, whose work with the orchestra and choirs is well-known, did not want to pursue his work." Chung told Le Monde that the dispute was primarily about who was to have artistic authority in the company. He said "it's as if you told a singer with whom you wished to renegotiate a contract, "come in and sing one act, then we'll see."

Jean-Paul Cluzel, interim administrator of the Opera, responded that "the basic problem was who was responsible for art: the boss of the Paris Opera or one of his collaborators, outstanding as he may be."

The Paris Opera has been embroiled in labor disputes, which resulted in a number of last-minute cancellations last season. Management has proposed to lay off approximately 8% of the company's total payroll of 1,700 employees. The company, which is heavily underwritten by government subsidies, lost $7.5 million last year.

Chung was hired in 1989 to replace Daniel Barenboim, who resigned the music directorship in a similar dispute over pay and control.

Rehearsals for the Paris Opera's first production of the season, Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, are to begin on Monday August 15. Management announced that Simone Young would take over "Simon Boccanegra," Maurizio Benini of Milan's La Scala would conduct Puccini's "Madame Butterfly," and Alain Lombard, head of the Bordeaux orchestra, would lead Berlioz's "The Damnation of Faust."

Pittsburgh Symphony: Board Says No to Binding Arbitration

The Board of the Pittsburgh Symphony Society has rejected an offer by the musicians to submit their contract dispute to binding arbitration.

The offer was presented at the August 8 board meeting by Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Committee chair Hampton Mallory, a member of the PSO 'cello section. The Orchestra Committee represents the musicians in contract negotiations.

Orchestra members are currently working under a one year extension of a previous contract which expires September 4, 1994. The extension included no pay increase for members of the PSO.

The board has demanded that musicians extend the present wage freeze two more years. In addition to a three year wage freeze, management also proposes cutting one week from the 1994-1995 season and elimination of a $40 per week/per musician electronic media guarantee (EMG) payment. The proposed one-week cut represents a tour of Japan which management cancelled after musicians would not guarantee to play the tour without agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.

The musicians' call for binding arbitration is virtually unprecedented. Orchestra managements have occasionally proposed such a procedure under the apparent belief that arbitrators would be sympathetic to the plight of an institution that, at least nominally, runs large deficits on a regular basis, but musicians have generally balked at the procedure. Some informed observers have speculated that the PSO board's refusal to enter into binding arbitration may reflect a belief that pleading poverty would be difficult in light of the success of their current endowment campaign.

The Pittsburgh Symphony is in the process of raising approximately $70 million to double the size of the PSO's endowment, currently $70 million, which would make it the largest endowment of any American orchestra. The campaign was launched with a grant of $20 million from the Howard Heintz Foundation, believed to be the largest single endowment grant ever made to an American orchestra. The campaign is expected to reach the $50 million mark by the end of 1994.

Royal Danish Orchestra: Music Savages Cud-Chewing Beast

Music from a concert performed by the Royal Danish Orchestra on August 6 proved decidedly unsoothing to one of the listeners at the Copenhagen Zoo. An okapi, which is a cud-chewing forest-dwelling mammal from central Africa, "threw a fit" and dropped dead during a set of opera selections, according to a zoo spokesperson. Undisturbed, at least by the music, were the okapi's mate and calf.

The orchestra has offered to move future open-air concerts to another site or erect baffles if it is determined that future performances might jeopardize the health of the zoo animals.

Although this incident highlights the health hazards inherent in exposure to loud noises, it may not prove a viable model for orchestra musicians attempting to get the attention of their managements in dealing with excessive noise levels on stage.

San Jose Symphony: New Assistant Conductor

The San Jose Symphony has announced the appointment of Yair Samet as assistant conductor, effective September 1. Samet, age 30, will conduct programs on the 1994-'95 KickBack Classics series and will serve as music director and conductor of the symphony's Youth Orchestra.

Samet, who was born in Israel, has been music director for the Young Israel Chamber Orchestra and assistant conductor for the Young Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He is currently working on his doctorate at Indiana University.

Temple University: Vandalism Destroys Festival Amphitheater

Officials have concluded that the August 8th fire that destroyed the old Temple University Music Festival amphitheater was more likely caused by vandalism than by arson. Jesse Hayden Jr., Upper Dublin fire marshal and zoning officer, said, "The building was boarded up - they broke into it. In my mind, that's vandalism." Officials suspect that someone entered the building and switched on the lights, causing the electrical system of the long-vacant structure to short out.

The fire burned for about 90 minutes before it was extinguished, leaving the structure a complete wreck.

The Temple University Music Festival opened in 1968, and for many years was the summer home of the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Pennsylvania Ballet. It was closed in 1980.

There has been recent interest in reviving the festival, which lost $300,00 in its last year of operation.

Marjorie D. Gleit, president of Arts Festival at Temple University, the nonprofit group leading the campaign, said a season of performances was scheduled tentatively for 1996 or 1997.

"I've been in touch with Temple, and they've been supportive in that they want to go forward with this," said Gleit. "We've decided we're going to look at this as the phoenix - the beautiful bird that rose from the ashes."

George Ingram, assistant vice president for university relations, said, "Our commitment is basically unchanged in terms of the festival."

One option under consideration by the Arts Festival was a new 5,400-seat amphitheater that would be open six nights a week during the summer. It would have incorporated elements of the now-destroyed structure.

"The fire is unfortunate and unexpected," Gleit said. "But we don't see it's going to be that detrimental to the project."
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