DOS Orchestra #22 - 29 November 94

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

Topics

Cairo Opera: Aida at Luxor Cut Short

Egyptian security forces filled Luxor in order to discourage Islamic militants from disrupting the opening performance of "Aida" at the temple of Queen Hapshepsut, the first of what was to be a run of six performances designed to draw tourists back to Egypt after fundamentalist attacks on foreign tourists had caused a precipitous drop in earnings from tourism. In addition to the very visible show of strength by the elite Presidential Guard and the Central Security organization, which included spotlights scanning the cliffs around the stage, the government had also constructed a new road and a pontoon bridge over the Nile to accommodate the hoped-for crowds and had even cut down crops near the new road to deny cover to any would-be ambushers.

Unfortunately, ticket sales for the production were so poor that the three of the projected six performances were canceled by the Cairo Opera House, who organized the run with the Ministry of Culture. Only three-quarters of the 3,000 seats were filled on opening night, and many of them were guests of the government. Travel agents blamed security concerns, high prices (up to $350 per ticket) and poor promotion as factors in the disappointing sales.

Cincinnati Symphony: Two Finalists for Concertmaster

Eliot Chapo and Alexander Kerr were chosen as finalists for the position of concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony as a result of auditions held on November 21.

Chapo, 48, has served as concertmaster of both the Dallas Symphony and the New York Philharmonic. He has been interim concertmaster of the CSO this season as a result of the resignation in May of Phillip Ruder, CSO concertmaster for 21 years.

Kerr, 24, is concertmaster of the Charleston (SC) Symphony. He will also have an opportunity to perform with the orchestra for several weeks before a final decision is made.

Cincinnati Symphony: New Labor Agreement

The musicians of the Cincinnati Symphony ratified a new labor agreement on November 18. The four-year agreement provides for weekly scale to increase from last season's level of $1,155 to $1,345 by 1998. The agreement also restores the CSO's season to 52 weeks. Although the restoration had been part of a package of concessions negotiated several years ago, management had sought a shorter season.

The musicians' pension was also at issue in this negotiation. The Board agreed to a $5.2 million transfer from the orchestra's endowment to freeze the underfunded private pension plan and agreed to make all future pension fund contributions to the American Federation of Musicians multi-employer pension fund, which is fully funded.

Also part of the agreement was a long-term disability program and a signing bonus of $1,300 per musician in partial compensation for the first-year freeze on weekly salary.

Colorado Symphony: Concertmaster Retires

Colorado Symphony concertmaster Jesse Ceci announced on November 23 that he would retire at the end of the 1994-95 season. Ceci, 71, joined the Denver Symphony, predecessor of the Colorado Symphony, in 1974. In 1992 Ceci was the target of a move by the musician-run CSO to terminate him on artistic grounds, but he successfully fought the proposed termination.

Detroit Symphony: Summer in Vail

The Bravo! Colorado Music Festival has announced that the Detroit Symphony has been engaged for a two-week residency this summer at the festival's home in Vail. A number of orchestras made proposals for the residency, including the Rochester (NY) Philharmonic, which had been the resident orchestra for Bravo! Colorado since 1989, as well as the Colorado Symphony.

Fox Valley Symphony: Music Director Resigns

Fox Valley (IL) Symphony music director Harold Bauer has announced his resignation effective at the end of the 1994-95 season.

Randall A. Wright, Fox Valley Symphony board president, said, "Harold Bauer's unique contribution to the cultural life of our area has been enormous. His dedication to our orchestra has been legendary. We will miss him, but he has given us the strength to face our future with confidence."

Bauer said his tenure as the symphony's music director "has been a valuable and wonderful experience.

"It has become clear to me" he said, "that I am at a time in my life when I must rethink and reorder the ways in which precious time is allocated. My departure from the Fox Valley Symphony is a cutting back only in the sense that new needs and priorities must be addressed."

A search committee, headed by past board president Gibby Monokoski and consisting of board members and symphony musicians, will be working to find his successor.

FVS executive directory Cynthia Berquist Krainc said, "the rest of this season offers us all a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the splendid orchestra Harold Bauer has built."

Milwaukee Symphony: Concertmaster Candidate Picked

Frank Almond, concertmaster of the Forth Worth Symphony and artist-in-residence at Texas Christian University, won the auditions for concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony held on November 21 and has been invited to perform with the orchestra for several weeks in January as a continuation of the audition process.

Almond, who is a graduate of the Julliard School, is a laureate of the Tchaikovsky Competition, and has soloed with a number of major orchestras.

The MSO concertmastership became vacant as the result of the resignation last season of the MSO's concertmaster, David Taylor. Taylor, who announced his resignation in the midst of the MSO's labor dispute in January, cited the orchestra's financial instability as his major reason for returning to the Chicago Symphony, where he was on a one-year leave from his position as assistant concertmaster.

National Symphony: Winter in Maine

In the third of its ongoing series of "American Residencies," the National Symphony has announced a 10-day residency in Maine from January 27 to February 5. The orchestra will perform in Bangor, Caribou, August, Lewiston and Portland under the director of associate conductor Barry Jekowsky. The residency will also include chamber music concerts, young peoples' concerts, workshops for teachers, music appreciation classes, and "art attacks," described as "impromptu performances" by the orchestra's musicians.

Previous residencies have taken the National Symphony to Alaska and Louisiana.

New York City Ballet: New Labor Agreement

from Jay Blumenthal, New York City Ballet ICSOM delegate:

On November 23, 1994, after long and difficult negotiations, the New York City Ballet Orchestra voted to accept (56 - 3) a new two year contract. This contract runs from Labor Day 1994 to Labor Day 1996. Management's final offer was presented to the orchestra by the orchestra committee on the morning of November 22nd with the committee's recommendation to reject. A dress rehearsal had previously been scheduled that morning for the evening's Gala opening night performance. When called from the meeting to rehearse, every member of the orchestra refused. The meeting continued and a vote was taken to accept or reject management's final offer. The committee felt that management was testing the resolve and willingness of the orchestra to follow the committee's leadership. In a show of strength and solidarity, the orchestra voted (45 - 8) to rejected management's final offer. Immediately following the meeting the orchestra's attorney, Sheldon Engelhard, received a request from management to resume negotiations. Management and the orchestra committee reached agreement that afternoon. There was a final vote of 56 - 3 to accept the revised contract package. The dress rehearsal was rescheduled for early that evening (with orchestra approval) and the opening night Gala went on as scheduled.

The agreement includes an increase of 8.3% in weekly salary over the two years, with a similar increase in rehearsal pay.

San Antonio Symphony Picks New Concertmaster

Stephanie Sant' Ambrogio, acting concertmaster of the San Antonio Symphony for the 1994-95 season, was offered the permanent concertmaster position after national auditions held in San Antonio on November 18.

Prior to coming to San Antonio, Sant' Ambrogio has served as assistant principal second violin of the Cleveland Orchestra, concertmaster of the Akron Symphony Orchestra and assistant professor of violin at Kent State University. She made her solo debut in 1992 with the Cleveland Orchestra and Leonard Slatkin.

In 1993, Sant' Ambrogio was named an artistic ambassador for the United States Information Agency, an award which took her on a recital tour to locations as diverse as Sweden, Estonia, and Ghana. In 1994 she toured Italy in a string quartet collaboration with Mikhail Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project.

San Francisco Ballet, Opera, Symphony to Perform AIDS Benefit

Charles Hamlen, founder of Classical Action: Performing Arts against AIDS, has announced a major AIDS benefit performance on February 20, 1995 in two venues in San Francisco, Davies Hall and the Opera House. All of the participants, including the San Francisco Ballet, Opera, and Symphony, will donate their services.

Additional performers include dancer-choreographer Bill T. Jones, who is himself HIV-positive, symphony music director-designate Michael Tilson Thomas, singers Thomas Hampson and Carol Vaness, pianist Evgeny Kissin, and Carol Burnett, who will host the event.

San Francisco Ballet artistic director Helgi Tomasson is creating a ballet to "When We No Longer Touch,"a work by composer Kristopher Jon Anthony, who died of AIDS-related causes. The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus will also participate in the performance of the ballet.

Tickets will run from $75 to $250, with a preconcert dinner, priced at $250, also planned. All of the ticket income, which is anticipated to total $1 million, will be divided between the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the Tides Foundation, and Classical Action.
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