DOS Orchestra #43 - 17 July, 95

News from the world of professional orchestras.
Copyright 1995, International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians

Topics

Florida Philharmonic: Chairman Resigns

from the Florida Philharmonic, June 27, 1995:

Florida Philharmonic Chairman of the Board Martin Coyne today announced that he is relinquishing his position of leadership with the orchestra. Vice Chairman Richard Schmidt, who previously served as chairman from 1990-1992, will assume the responsibilities of chairman effective immediately.

"As we move forward to solve the financial crisis facing the orchestra, I think it is extremely important to show the community that we are prepared to make changes that will clearly demonstrate the institution's commitment to setting the orchestra on a new course," stated Mr. Coyne. "Because of my intense participation in the decisions which brought us to the point where we are now, I believe it is essential that I step aside to restore confidence in the organization."

"No one could have worked harder nor more wholeheartedly and sincerely as chairman of the Philharmonic than Martin Coyne," relayed Music Director James Judd from Colorado, where he is conducting at the Aspen Festival. "Personally, it has been a pleasure to work together over these years and I thank him for his commitment and great dedication to the orchestra."

In accepting the responsibilities of chairman, Mr. Schmidt said, "My charge to the institution is to figure out how we can maintain the artistic level we have achieved in these 10 short years within the constraints of our financial means and to use heroic efforts to rebuild in the future."

Richard Schmidt is chief executive officer of Schmidt Companies, a diversified investment group. He has been active with the Florida Philharmonic since the early 1980's, and was treasurer of the Boca Raton Symphony when the merger with the Fort Lauderdale Symphony was completed in 1985. A resident of Boca Raton, Mr. Schmidt is active in numerous community organizations, including the 100 Club of South Palm Beach County, Florida Atlantic University Research and Development Park Authority, WPBT/ Channel 2. On the national level, he has served on the Board of Directors of the American Symphony Orchestra League.

(end of management statement)

During Coyne's tenure as chair of the Florida Philharmonic, its deficit ballooned to nearly $2 million as the management partially implemented an ambitious plan to expand the orchestra's concert operations. Coyne's departure follows that of executive director William Vickery in late 1994 and the return of former executive director John Graham to the orchestra two months ago. Graham had quit the orchestra in 1992 in a dispute with the orchestra's board of directors.

Milwaukee Symphony: New Assistant Conductor

from the management of the Milwaukee Symphony, June 28:

Andrew Sill, Associate Conductor of the Virginia Symphony, will become the new Assistant Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, effective in September 1995. As Assistant Conductor, Mr. Sill will lead the orchestra in education, pops, tour and outreach concerts, working closely with Artistic Advisor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Principal Pops Conductor Doc Severinsen, and Resident Conductor Neal Gittleman.

"We welcome Andrew Sill to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra family," stated Executive Director Steven A. Ovitsky. "Andy is a gifted musician with a demonstrated ability to inspire great music-making, as well as a gift for working with young people and serving as a spokesman for orchestral music. We look forward to Mr. Sill joining us in the Fall."

"I'm honored to be chosen for this position with the outstanding Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra," said Andrew Sill. "In addition to being blessed with many of the finest musicians in the country, the MSO has one of the most advanced education and outreach programs of any American orchestra. I'm excited to have the opportunity to work with such an alive institution."

Associate Conductor of the Virginia Symphony since 1994, Mr. Sill previously served in a similar post with the Florida Symphony Orchestra. Acclaimed as "a virtuoso performer" and "an exciting young conductor who possesses a natural authority on the podium," Mr. Sill has appeared as a guest conductor with the National Symphony Orchestra, the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center, and the orchestras of Delaware, Charleston, and Anchorage, among others.

While in Florida he earned a reputation as a versatile musician and an effective spokesperson for the arts. His concerts were heard frequently on public station WMFE, and his previews of the FSO Masterworks concerts won a devoted audience. Sill also served as Music Director of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, an organization of 160 young musicians from 7 different counties.

His performances in June 1991 with members of the Julliard Orchestra were called "excellent" by the New York Times and "wonderful" by New York Magazine. From 1988 to 1990 Sill served as Assistant Conductor of the Boston Ballet, and has performed with the Naples Philharmonic, Manhattan Philharmonia, and the Brevard Symphony Orchestra.

Andrew Sill was born in New York City and raised in Connecticut. He received his Bachelor's degree with honors from Yale University, where he studied both piano and conducting from the age of 15. He continued his education under scholarship and fellowship awards from the Manhattan School of Music, where he earned a doctorate in 1987. Sill has studied conducting with Hugo Fiorato, Otto-Werner Mueller, and with Murry Sidlin at the Aspen School of Music. In 1993, Sill was invited to conduct for Lorin Maazel in a master class sponsored by the American Symphony Orchestra League. He has studied piano with John Browning, Constance Keene, and Ward Davenny.

General Manager Jean Hamilton noted that the selection of Mr. Sill involved a collaborative process between the orchestra, Board and staff. "We thank each member of the search committee for their hard work over the past months," Hamilton stated. "We are unanimous in our confidence in Mr. Sill and look forward to welcoming him to the MSO." The search committee included Board members Steve Richman and Marta Haas; Associate Conductor Neal Gittleman; Principal Trombonist Don Haack, Principal Flutist Linda Toote, violinist Mike Giacobassi, and bassist Catherine McGinn; as well as Hamilton, Director of Education and Outreach Mary Wayne Fritzsche, and Artistic Manager Carole Roberdeau.

Over 180 applicants applied for the position; Mr. Sill was selected from among 11 semifinalists. His final audition with the orchestra was held on June 14 and included a reading of Sara sate's "Zigeunerweisen," featuring violinist Catherine Schubilske.

(end of management statement.)

Sill succeeds Harvey Felder in the position of MSO assistant conductor. Felder began his new position as resident conductor of the St. Louis Symphony last September, and conducted his last concert with the MSO in May 1995.

National Endowment: Surprise Defeat in the House

from the American Symphony Orchestra League, July 16:

The House of Representatives came close to voting on the NEA last Thursday (July 13), but by 9:00 PM, debate continued on Title I of the FY 1996 Interior appropriations bill; the NEA, NEH, and other agencies are contained in Title II of the bill. The House handed the Republican leadership a surprise defeat earlier in the week when a group of anti-NEA freshmen demanded that the entire bill be returned to the House Rules Committee because they did not like the bill's debate rules, which had precluded procedural objections from anti-NEA members on the grounds that the NEA should not receive funding because the separate authorization bill has not yet been approved.

The freshmen were joined in the vote to overturn the rule by none other than the Democrats, most of whom are NEA supporters, but who objected to other provisions in the Interior bill. Even though this massive bill funds dozens of federal agencies, clearly the NEA is a main target of the insurgent freshmen.

To appease the insurgents, Republican leaders agreed that funding will be made contingent on approval of an authorization bill that terminates the agency in two years instead of the three-year phase-out designed by the House authorizing committee two months ago.

The bill funds the NEA and NEH at $99.5 million each (a cut of over 40% for the NEA).

Philadelphia Orchestra: New Finance Director

The Philadelphia Orchestra has appointed Thomas L. Lussenhop to the newly created position of vice-president of finance and administration. Lussenhop, 36, had been vice-president of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, a $165 million complex in Newark scheduled to open in 1997, until he resigned from his position last year.

Lussenhop is expected to help the orchestra coordinate its fundraising efforts. The orchestra is currently raising money for a new hall, renovations to the Academy of Music (its current home), and an increased endowment, and expects to run an operating deficit of $1.4 million this season on its $27 million budget. Last season, its operating deficit was $585,000.

In an interview with the Philadelphia ~Inquirer~, Lussenhop said that his role would be "to provide support to fellow senior staff managers in their decision-making... there is a lot I or anybody else coming into a position like this needs to learn first. I would say that I want to learn as much as I can about the orchestra - the strengths of the orchestra and the weaknesses of the orchestra."

St. Louis Symphony: New Choral Director

from the management of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, May 19:

The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra has named Amy Kaiser as Director of the renowned Saint Louis Symphony Chorus. Kaiser becomes only the second director in the chorus' 20-year history. She succeeds the late Thomas Peck, who led the chorus from its inception until his death in Spring 1994.

SLSO Executive Director Bruce Coppock said of Ms. Kaiser, "After a year-long, nation-wide search we know that we have found a consummate professional who will bring the highest level of artistic excellence and innovation to the Saint Louis Symphony."

Currently the Music Director of The Dessoff Choirs and The Mannes Chamber Singers in New York, Ms. Kaiser has prepared choruses for the New York Philharmonic, Mostly Mozart Festival, Ravinia Festival, New York Chamber Symphony, American Symphony Orchestra, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Opera Orchestra of New York and the New York International Festival of Arts. In July 1995 she will prepare a chorus for Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic, and will conduct at the Berkshire Choral Festival.

"I am honored to be the new Director of the wonderful Saint Louis Symphony Chorus and I'm looking forward to becoming involved in the St. Louis musical community" said Ms. Kaiser. "The timing is very exciting--to be able to celebrate Leonard Slatkin's final season - more with Mahler, Berlioz and Beethoven, and then to welcome Hans Vonk with more great choral music--this to me is a very special opportunity. "

During the 1994-95 season Ms. Kaiser prepared the Saint Louis Symphony Chorus for its performances of the Bach B minor Mass. She begins her duties in St. Louis full-time in Fall 1995. Ms. Kaiser will live in St. Louis and will be involved in the Symphony's education and outreach activities.

Also known for her work in opera, Ms. Kaiser conducted 10 performances of Don Pasquale with the Metropolitan Opera Guild in New York this season. She will continue her work with the Metropolitan Opera Guild, conducting 11 performances of The Barber of Seville during 1995-96. Ms. Kaiser has received critical acclaim for a variety of performances with other companies including The Abduction from the Seraglio with the Berkshire Opera Company, The Turn of the Screw with the Opera Ensemble of New York, David Schiff's Gimpel the Fool and world premieres by Bruce Adolphe and Elie Siegmeister at the 92nd Street Y. Ms. Kaiser conducted the American premiere of Donizetti's I Pazzi per Progetto for The Mannes Opera Ensemble and was guest conductor for the Manhattan School of Music Opera Department.

For seven years Ms. Kaiser was principal conductor of the New York Chamber Symphony's Sidney A. Wolff School Concert Series at the 92nd Street Y, where she also led many performances for the Y's acclaimed Schubertiade.

A Phi Beta Kappa alumna of Smith College, Ms. Kaiser holds a master's degree in musicology from Columbia University. She is currently on the conducting faculties of The Mannes College of Music and Manhattan School of Music.

San Diego Symphony: Half a Paycheck

The San Diego Symphony was only able to pay about half of its most recent payroll of $260,000 to its 150 full- and part-time employees on July 14, the San Diego ~Union-Tribune~ reported.

Orchestra president Tom Morgan, who has been running the orchestra since the departure of executive director Michael Tiknis is May, said that the unpaid wages would be paid next week "as funds permit." He said that he was "working hard to try to never have a [payroll] crisis again... we don't expect today's shortfall to result in any layoffs, but we are dependent on community support to allow continued operations and planning for future stability."

In addition to Tiknis, three members of the orchestra's development staff have also left in the past several weeks under what Morgan called "various circumstances." The ~Union-Tribune~ reported that one had resigned and two were fired.

The orchestra is in the middle of a $6 million fundraising campaign called "Symphony 2000" to pay off past debts and establish a cash reserve. Morgan said that the orchestra has already gone through $3 million of the money raised by the campaign and has spent $800,000 of next season's subscription ticket sales and $250,000 of advance sales for the summer season. A radiothon last weekend, part of the Symphony 2000 campaign, raised only $15,000.

Rebekah Campbell, a member of the musicians' orchestra committee, told the ~Union-Tribune~ that "the contract we negotiated [in 1994] with key members of the executive committee of the [symphony] association represents an important commitment, and we take them at their word despite this prominent setback. The musicians' union will, if necessary, take steps to enforce this agreement."

Deaths

Efrem Kurtz, former music director of the Kansas City Symphony, the Houston Symphony, and the Stuttgart Philharmonic, died on June 27 in London. He was 94.

Kurtz was born in St. Petersburg on Nov. 7, 1900, and had his early musical training at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He made his formal conducting debut in Berlin in 1921, replacing his teacher Arthur Nikisch on a tour with the dancer Isadora Duncan.

He fled Germany and his position with the Stuttgart orchestra in 1933, when he was tipped off that he was about to be arrested by the Nazis. He relocated to Paris, where he joined the conducting staff of the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo.

Kurtz moved to the United States in 1943 to become music director in Kansas City, and subsequently became an American citizen. He was music director of the Houston Symphony from 1948 to 1954. After leaving Houston, he served as music director of the Liverpool Philharmonic for two seasons.

During his career, which spanned seven decades, he conducted the premieres of works by Barber, Copland, Hindemith, Khachaturian, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, and Walton. But, according to the New York ~Times~, "he was most highly regarded for his interpretations of Russian music."

Kurtz is survived by his wife, Mary Lynch, and a brother.
Harry Sturm, former principal cellist of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, died on July 4 in Highland Park (Illinois) of heart failure. He was 80.

Sturm was a native of Chicago, where he began studying violin at the age of 6. His father, a music store owner, gave him a cello at age 9.

He began his career at the age of 20 as principal cellist of the Kansas City Symphony, but returned to Chicago to work as a studio musician. He joined the Chicago Symphony in 1956, but left in 1962 to join the new Milwaukee Symphony as principal cellist, and later became personnel manager as well. He resigned from both positions in 1975 in a dispute over the latter position.

After his resignation from the orchestra, he continued a very active teaching career, teaching at the Wisconsin Conservatory and Lawrence University in Appleton (Wisconsin), as well as maintaining a large private studio.

Sturm is survived by three sons and three daughters, one of whom, Marina Sturm, is principal clarinetist of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Erratica

Mark R. Hagner, the Registrar of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, writes:

"In the issue noted above (DOS Orchestra 042), you mentioned the tragic death of Jessie Hauck. In the second paragraph you stated that Hauck taught at the Milwaukee Conservatory. To my knowledge, there is no institution by that name. The school where she did teach is the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Although the school has been called many different things since its founding in 1899, I do not believe that it has ever been referred to as you did.

Incidentally, The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music has established a memorial scholarship for Jessie Hauck."
Garry Margolis writes of Marvin Camras, whose death was reported in DOS Orchestra 042:

"There were several magnetic sound recorders developed in the '20's -- the one that comes immediately to mind is the German Blattnerfon, which used steel ribbon wound on reels of approximately one meter in diameter. If this recording medium broke, it could have been lethal. It took two strong men to hoist the reel onto the machine.

Camras developed a lightweight, practical wire recorder in the early '30's, and Pfleumer of BASF and the AEG group developed ferric oxide/cellulose acetate tape and the Magnetophon, which was the first "tape" recorder.

Both Camras' wire recorder and the Magnetophon, though, suffered from the same defect which made them unsuitable for use in serious music recording.

It takes a certain amount of magnetic energy applied to the recording medium to get it to start to accept magnetism. The earliest recorders, such as the Blattnerfon mentioned above, had severe distortion because they chopped off the beginnings of the waveforms of loud sounds and couldn't capture soft ones.

Camras and AEG independently came up with the idea of applying a constant amount of magnetic energy, called "bias", to the recording medium to get it "over the hump", so to speak. Both Camras' and AEG's recorders, however, used a constant amount of bias, called DC bias, which accomplished the goal of relatively undistorted sound. Unfortunately, DC bias creates a relatively high amount of hiss plus artifacts caused by irregularities in the recording medium.

Since Camras's machines used wire instead of tape, they could be much lighter and smaller than tape machines of equal playing time, although their sonic quality was not as good as the Magnetophons.

During World War II, both AEG and Camras, who were on opposite sides and thus were not disseminating information accessible to the other, independently came up with the idea of substituting a supersonic AC bias signal for the DC signal previously used. AC bias dramatically reduced the hiss and noise level of the recordings and made them truly high fidelity. At the same time, Camras was well aware of the magnetic and mechanical limitations of wire and worked with 3M to develop a magnetic tape, which was first coated on a paper base (Scotch 101) and soon afterwards on an acetate base (Scotch 111). There is no evidence that Camras was aware of Pfleumer's work or AEG's machines."

(Garry Margolis is a former member of AFM Local 47 and recording engineer now working as a marketing consultant for professional
Copyright 1995, International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians

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