DOS Orchestra #23 - 13 December 94

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

Topics

Atlanta Ballet: Dancers Vote to Unionize

Members of the Atlanta Ballet have voted to join the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) by a vote of 32 to 3. Mary Bear, the interim executive director of the company, said "the dances have expressed a desire in the vote, and staff and management respect their choice."

If management does not file an objection with the National Labor Relations Board, then the NLRB issues a certificate of representation, which enables AGMA to negotiate with the management on behalf of the dancers.

Current salaries for dancers with the company range from $250 to over $1,000 per week for a 32-week season.

The musicians of the Atlanta Ballet are represented by the American Federation of Musicians, which negotiated its first labor agreement with the company in 1989.

Chicago Lyric Opera Announces Commission

The Chicago Lyric Opera has announced that it has commissioned William Bolcom to compose an opera based on Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge" for the 1999-2000 season, with libretto by Arnold Weinstein. Bolcom and Weinstein also wrote the opera "McTeague," which was produced the the company in 1992.

Colorado Symphony: Happy Birthday, Ludwig

The Colorado Symphony performed at a birthday party for Ludwig van Beethoven and 8,000 of his closest friends on December 7 at the Colorado Convention Center. Other events at the party included excerpts for Tchaikowsky's "Nutcracker" performed by the Colorado Ballet and a costume contest, which was won by the Shady Ladies of Central City, who dressed as tavern wenches.

Admission to the party, sponsored by radio station KVOD, was free.

Congressional Arts Caucus: Funding to be Cut

The new Republican majority in the US House of Representatives has voted to cut funding to 28 House Legislative Service Organizations, which serve congressional caucuses, including the Congressional Arts Caucus. The funding provided offices and staff for groups of lawmakers ranging from the Congressional Black Caucus to the Pennsylvania Congressional Caucus. Republicans say that the move will cut 96 staff jobs and free 176 House offices for other uses, saving $5 million. The estimate was attacked by critics, who pointed out that the funding came from House members's existing budgets for staff and offices.

Speaker-elect Newt Gingrich described the legislative service organizations as "scandals waiting to explode," but a number of House members and staff criticized the move as motivated by the desire to "eliminate the opposition," as John H. Morril, executive director of the Congressional Hunger Caucus said.

House Republicans rejected a more sweeping plan to reduce members' personal staffs by 2 positions, which would have reduced staff payrolls by 870 positions.

Detroit Symphony: Former Oboist Dies

Ronald Erhard Odmark, second oboist with the Detroit Symphony from 1946 to 1981, died on December 1 in Dearborn of kidney failure. He was 73.

Mr. Odmark, who was a native of Michigan, received degrees from Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State University, where he later taught. During World War II, he served as a communications officer and, while stationed in India, played with the Calcutta Symphony.

After his retirement, Mr. Odmark helped to revive the Bohemian Club, a group that raised scholarship funds for young musicians.

He is survived by a son and four grandchildren.

Florida Philharmonic: Summit Forces Cancellation of "Messiah"

from the management of the Florida Philharmonic:

The Florida Philharmonic has canceled the December 10 performance of Handel's "Messiah" at Gusman Center for the Performing Arts due to anticipated traffic problems resulting from the Hemispheric Summit. Ticket holders may contact the Philharmonic box office, toll-free at 930-1812, or their point-of-purchase to obtain refunds.

"Once apprised of the inconveniences our patrons would incur in trying to reach the concert hall by both officials from the City of Miami and the White House, it became obvious that the only fair decision would be to cancel the performance," said General Manager Frank Kistler.

Gusman Center for the Performing Arts is in the middle of the downtown area which will be rendered virtually inaccessible because of street and parking garage closings by Summit security.

Highlights of the Florida Philharmonic's December 12 "Messiah" performance at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts will be broadcast on WPBT/2 Christmas Eve at 9:00 PM and Christmas Day at 6:00 PM. The Christmas Eve holiday special will be simulcast over WTMI 93.1 FM. The broadcast is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Carnival Cruise Lines.

Houston Symphony: Benefit Piano Sale

The Forshey Piano Company held a benefit piano sale for the Houston Symphony in Jones Hall, the HSO's home, from December 1st to December 4th. Seventy-two pianos, ranging in price from $3,000 to $72,000, were offered for sale at a 15% discount. 10% of the purchase price of each instrument was donated to the Houston Symphony in the name of the purchaser. A commemorative Houston Symphony medallion will be attached to each piano.

Fred and Nancy Forshey, owners of Forshey Piano Company, approached the Houston Symphony with the offer of the benefit last May, after management had announced that the orchestra would incur a deficit of $500,000 for the season. Fred Forshey said "We hope that by stepping forward at a time when corporate support is in neutral or going into a slow reverse, other corporations will follow suit... it's like supporting the Houston Rockets" (the local professional basketball team).

The first three days of the sale was to members of the orchestra's board of directors, advisory board members, members of the Houston Symphony League, and corporate donors and supporters of the orchestra.

Forshey Piano Company held a similar benefit for the Phoenix Symphony last year, during which $42,000 was raised.

Philadelphia Orchestra: Zinman Cancels, Is Replaced by Stern

David Zinman canceled two weeks of appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, citing high blood pressure and dizziness. His time with the orchestra was to include appearances at Carnegie Hall on November 29th and recording sessions with Yo-Yo Ma. He was replaced by Andrew Davis for the Carnegie Hall concert and by Michael Stern, permanent guest conductor of the Orchestre National de Lyon, for the balance of the concerts.

Ma was scheduled to perform and record with the orchestra works of Richard Danielpour, Leon Kirchner, and Christopher Rouse, but management announced that the program would be changed and the recordings postponed.

Stern, 34, who is making his Philadelphia Orchestra debut in these concerts, is a 1986 graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the son of violinist Isaac Stern.

Saint Louis Symphony Ends Season with Deficit

The Saint Louis Symphony reported on November 28 that its 114th season ended on August 31 with an operating deficit of $1.4 million, which was attributed by orchestra officials to a decline in investment income, the absence of a biannual gala, and the orchestra's three-week tour of Europe last winter. Board chairman Michael F. Neidorff announced that the orchestra was up-to-date on the interest payments on its $2 million loan from the State of Missouri. In May, the orchestra and Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan agreed that the loan, which was made in 1985, would be paid off with free concerts, but the agreement was nullified after complaints from state legislators.

In Neidorff's speech, he said "the foundation of the 1993-94 season was the announcement of the long-range plan, 'Revitalization for the Future," which set imperatives and charted a course not only for the survival of the organization, but also for its continued growth. The plan calls for continued commitments to artistic quality, as well as an increased, revitalized commitment to the community.

"The most dramatic example of the implementation process of the long-range plan was the merger with the Saint Louis Conservatory and Schools For the Arts (CASA), to form the Saint Louis Symphony Community Music School. As a result of the merger, the Symphony Music School. which has an enrollment of almost 2,600 students and six branches throughout the St. Louis area, substantially increases the symphony's role as both a leader in the area of music education and as a vital community resource.

"Reinforcing its commitment to the community and to diversity, the SLSO continued to expand and build important relationships throughout the St. Louis area. The successful IN UNISON (tm) program grew from 5 to 12 African-American churches, representing thousands of new members. Another outcome was a formal partnership between the SLSO and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, which resulted in a variety of joint programs including a symphony artist-in-residence at UM-St. Louis and scholarships for minorities interested in music."

SLSO executive director Bruce Coppock said that one of the board's goals should be to help orchestra members "cherish and nourish their commitment to excellence... we have something magical here."

Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra: Home Sweet Home - Not

Relations between the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Ordway Music Theater, never very warm, reached a new low recently with the announcement by the Ordway that it was booking the touring musical "Show Boat" for a 15-week run at the Ordway, knocking the SPCO out of three weeks and eight scheduled performances in the facility, of which the orchestra is one of four principal tenants. The other three, the Minnesota Opera, the Minnesota Orchestra and the Schubert Club, were also knocked out of scheduled dates.

The Ordway Music Theater is part of a consortium of Twin Cities theaters designed to bring in Broadway shows. "Show Boat" was originally slated for a 10-week run at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis, but the show's producers recently informed Bill Conner, president of the Ordway, that a 10-week run wouldn't cover the $1 million cost of the show. Conner then canceled the agreement with the Orpheum and booked the show into the Ordway, promising to provide another major show for the Orpheum in July but angering the SPCO.

The Ordway Music Theater, completed in 1985, was intended by its principal benefactor, Sally Irvine Ordway, as a home for the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Schubert Club, a local presenting organization. One very vocal critic of the Ordway's decision to evict the principal tenants for most of September was Kenneth Dayton, arguably the Twin Cities' leading philanthropist, who wrote in a November 30 memo to SPCO president Brent Assink "I want you to know that I am outraged by what I understand the Ordway has done to the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. If you have a contract, I hope you will force them to abide by it... to me it is unthinkable that the Ordway would even consider throwing out St. Paul's greatest cultural jewel in order to let New York producers come in and drain millions of dollars out of Minnesta. The economic impact of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is incalculable. What would the city be without it?... as one donor and a former [Ordway] board member, I feel my sizable contribution to its construction has been betrayed."

The office of St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman expressed concern that the economic benefits of a 15-week run of "Show Boat," estimated at between $22 million and $30 million, not be lost. Erich Mische, the mayor's communications director, said "you don't turn your back on an opportunity to increase your tax base and an opportunity for economic possibilities. Our number one concern is civic responsibility." The production is estimated to gross $12 million in ticket sales, bring 190,000 patrons into downtown St. Paul, and add 60 part-time jobs at the Ordway for the duration of the run.

On December 9, the Ordway announced that it had reached agreement with the principal tenants, including the SPCO, on rescheduling their dates. SPCO president Brent Assink said "this is the first time I'm aware of the orchestra opening later than usual," referring to the orchestra's first appearance of the season in the Ordway in October. "Plans have been made, including commissions to guest artists and conductors. But we've managed to move just about everything around... I'm very happy with the resolution" he said. Officials of the Minnesota Opera, which was forced to move the world premiere of "Bok Choy Variations" from September to June, also expressed satisfaction with the agreement.

The city of St. Paul assisted in the negotiations, and has proposed to provide marketing assistance to the SPCO.

San Antonio Symphony: Former Timpanist Dies

Fred Andy Hoey, former timpanist of the San Antonio Symphony who developed the "CB 700" line of percussion instruments, died on November 28 of complications from diabetes. Hoey studied percussion in Chicago with William Ludwig and was a charter member of the Percussive Arts Society. He was 74.

San Francisco Opera: Eine Kleine Mite Musik

Members of the San Francisco Opera company have recently been afflicted with an outbreak of Sarcoptes scabiei, a mite that burrows under human skin to lay its eggs, thereby causing scabies, an illness characterized by extreme itching in its victims. Approximately fifty members of the company have developed the condition, and a number have missed performances.

After consultation with the San Francisco Health Department and a local dermatologist, management discarded a number of old sofas, chairs and rugs from the backstage areas. Dermatologist Lawrence Kaminsky then held a meeting for around 200 members of the company on the proper application of a prescription lotion that he had prescribed and on how to wash clothes and bedding to rid themselves of the mite. The backstage and stage areas were also sprayed, causing the annual luncheon of the company's Medallion Society, a group of donors, to be moved from its traditional on-stage site.

The problem first appeared last month. During the outbreak, in an apparent attempt to try to communicate the problem to a management that some musicians felt was not responding in a timely fashion to the outbreak, musicians posted drawings of the mite backstage, as well as a list of "possible additions" to the operatic repertoire, including "A Little Mite Music," "Cosi Fan Cootie," and "A Midsummer Mite's Cream."

San Francisco Symphony: Two Guest Artists Cancel

Soprano Jessye Norman and conductor Roger Norrington have canceled upcoming appearances with the San Francisco Symphony.

Ms. Norman canceled her March appearances, which were to benefit the orchestra's pension fund, after a dispute about rehearsal schedules for her performance in Act 2 of Wagner's opera "Tristan und Isolde." Orchestra management officials said that Norman had requested a third rehearsal in addition to the two originally scheduled. Orchestra administrator Gregg Gleasner said "at that point, between rehearsals and recordings, the orchestra's schedule was completely full. Just putting on these two concerts was pushing the orchestra to its limits. We couldn't even buy a third rehearsal."

Management is offering to refund or exchange tickets for the event.

Conductor Roger Norrington also canceled his appearances with the orchestra this week on the advice of his physician. These are the first concerts canceled as a result of a six-month hiatus that he is planning because of exhaustion. Conducting the three subscription concerts in his stead will be SFSO associate conductor Alasdair Neale. The program, which includes Mendelssohn's "Fingal's Cave" Overture and "Scottish" Symphony, as well as the Walton Viola Concerto with principal violist Geraldine Walther, is unchanged.
Copyright 1994, International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians

DOS Orchestra is a publication of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) and is published more or less weekly. ICSOM is an affiliated conference of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, AFL-CIO. DOS Orchestra may be freely distributed as long as it is distributed in its entirety and no charge is made for the redistribution. Any other unauthorized reproduction of any part of DOS Orchestra is strictly forbidden, except that non-profit, non-commercial publications may reprint articles if full credit is given. All rights reserved.

Submissions to DOS Orchestra may be made by email to dos@icsom.org, by fax to (414) 352-6090, or by snail mail to: 7680 N. Longview Drive / Glendale WI 53209-1862 (USA).

To subscribe, send email with the single word "subscribe" (no quotes) in the subject line to dos@icsom.org. To unsubscribe, send email to the same address with the single word "signoff" in the subject line.

Back issues of DOS Orchestra are available via the World Wide Web at: http://www.actrix.gen.nz/users/dgold/do/.
DOS Orchestra Index