DOS Orchestra #45 - 23 October, 95

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

Topics

American Federation of Musicians Endorses Sweeney - Sorta

from ~The Officers' Edge~, a publication of the American Federation of Musicians:

For the first time in approximately 40 years, the top two offices of the AFL-CIO (namely President and Secretary-Treasurer) are being contested at the labor body's upcoming convention. Incumbent President Tom Donahue and incumbent Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling are being challenged by Presidential candidate John Sweeney, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and Richard Trumka, President of the United Mine Workers. The Sweeney ticket also includes Linda Chavez-Thompson, who is running for what the ticket says would be the position of Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO (a position which currently does not exist within the AFL-CIO governing structure).

The election contest presented the International Executive Board (IEB) with a unique challenge at its September 1995 meeting. The crux of the debate concerned whether or not the IEB should or could endorse a candidate and whether or not the IEB should or could require the AFM's AFL-CIO delegates to vote strictly in accordance with any endorsement the IEB might make (rather than in accordance with their individual judgment or conscience). The AFM is represented at the AFL-CIO convention by the AFM President and Secretary-Treasurer (who are delegates by virtue of their office) and three delegates who are elected at large by the AFM Convention.

After extensive discussion, the IEB adopted a resolution to "support John Sweeney and his ticket for the leadership of the AFL-CIO." The vote was five to two to endorse the Sweeney ticket (with Secretary-Treasurer Stephen R. Sprague and Vice President Tom Lee opposed; Vice President from Canada Ray Petch abstaining; and President Steve Young not voting). Those voting in favor of the Sweeney ticket expressed their support for his platform, which emphasizes organizing as the key to the renewal of the American labor movement, as well as their support for Sweeney, Trumka, and Chavez-Thompson as "candidates of change" who they believe can lead the American labor movement into the next century.

Following the endorsement action, the members of the IEB indicated that they would not seek to require that the delegates to the AFL-CIO vote in accordance with the Board's endorsement; instead they indicated that they supported the right of delegates to vote based on the dictates of their individual consciences.

Sprague and Young advised the Board during the course of the discussion that as delegates to the AFL-CIO they intend to vote for Donahue and Barbara Easterling. They indicated that they were strongly supporting Donahue because they believe that having only recently been elected President of the AFL-CIO (replacing retiring President Lane Kirkland) the former AFL-CIO Secretary- Treasurer should have the opportunity to implement his platform, which also emphasizes organizing, before determining if he is not qualified to lead the AFL-CIO. They also emphasized that Donahue has consistently demonstrated that he is a friend of the American Federation of Musicians and professional musicians throughout his entire tenure with the AFL-CIO. President Young also indicated that he would be voting in accordance with what he believes are the AFM's best interests within the labor community as a whole.

The AFL-CIO Convention is taking place October 23-26 in New York City.

Charlotte Symphony: Executive Director Resigns

Rick Lester, executive director of the Charlotte Symphony, resigned on October 4. Orchestra board chairman Fred Figge told the Charlotte ~Observer~ that Lester "decided to do other things and resigned," while Lester refused to comment at all beyond telling the ~Observer~ that "anger's kind of a wasted emotion, don't you think?"

The news of Lester's departure came as an apparent surprise to Lester himself, who joked with a newspaper reporter about a rumored big story less then two hours before the announcement. The board was notified of the announcement by fax.

Others in the Charlotte arts community were more forthcoming. Bob Jackson, a member of the orchestra who sits on the executive committee of the orchestra's board, said "I didn't see anything that would have caused the events of the past 24 hours." Charlotte Repertory Theatre head Keith Martin said that he was "stunned and deeply saddened... Rick Lester formed partnerships with other agencies in the arts community that simply did not exist prior to his tenure with the symphony." A former executive director of the orchestra, Doug Patti, defended Lester. "Rick is so damn talented," said Patti, who is currently director of management services for the American Symphony Orchestra League. "But that is a very hard symphony to manage."

Lester came to Charlotte in December 1992 after having left the same position with the San Antonio Symphony. Season ticket sales for the orchestra have increased dramatically in the past three seasons, going from under $600,000 in 1992-93 to $1.7 million last season, while the annual operating deficit has dropped.

Scott Singleton, a member of the orchestra's board, was named interim executive director.

Chicago Symphony: Chorus Ratifies New Labor Agreement

from the management of the Chicago Symphony, September 13:

Union professional members of the Chicago Symphony Chorus voted Thursday evening, September 7, to ratify a new three-year contract with its parent organization, The Orchestral Association. The contract covers approximately 105 union chorus members of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA). Chorus members are part-time employees paid per concert appearance and rehearsal.

Henry Fogel, executive director of The Orchestral Association, said: "We are delighted with the successful conclusion of this contract negotiation. We addressed a number of issues of importance to the Members of the Chorus and to management, and addressed them in a spirit of mutual cooperation and problem-solving. We were aware of the need to remain competitive with other choral organizations in the City, so that we could continue to attract the finest vocal talent that would assure the Chicago Symphony Chorus remaining one of the very finest choruses in the world."

Union members covered in the contract will receive $107 per performance in the first year, $115 per performance in the second year, and $120 per performance in the contract's final year. The average rate of pay for rehearsal hour in the new contract will be $16.75 an hour in the first year, $18.50 per year in the second year, and $20.50 per hour in the contract's final year. Currently, the members of the Chorus are guaranteed fourteen performances per year; in the final year of the new agreement, that will increase to fifteen.

"Recent negotiations between AGMA and The Orchestral Association were fruitful in regards to the willingness of the management of The Association to listen to the professional singers," chorus member and AGMA union delegate Paul Grizzell commented last week.

Union members voted over a two-day period ending late Thursday evening. Contract negotiations by committees empowered to bargain for the union members and management lasted about six weeks. The previous contract covered a two-year period, rather than the traditional three-year span, due to transitional issues associated with the retirement in 1994 of Margaret Hillis, the first director and founder in 1957 of the Chicago Symphony Chorus.

Chicago Symphony Chorus director Duain Wolfe commented, "I am extremely pleased that the Association and AGMA have combined forces to ensure the continued development of this fine chorus."

The American Guild of Musical Artists represents professional chorus members and dancers nationwide, including the Lyric Opera Chorus, Grant Park Symphony Chorus, and the Chicago Opera Theater Chorus.

Detroit Symphony: Musicians Decline to be Shot by Scab

In a demonstration of solidarity with striking workers at the Detroit ~Free Press~, Detroit Symphony musicians refused to allow the use of a photograph taken by a ~Free Press~ photographer who had crossed picket lines to return to work. The musicians also donated $1,000 to the newspaper workers' strike fund.

The photographer, Susan Tusa, had shot a number of photographs of the orchestra with music director Neeme Jarvi at a rehearsal on September 13. When some members of the orchestra discovered that Tusa worked for the ~Free Press~, they requested an orchestra meeting at the next break. At that meeting, the musicians voted to refuse permission for the photos to be used in the paper, and also voted the donation to the strike fund.

DSO public relations director Jill Woodward told the Detroit ~Journal~ that she had "expressed to the photographer that they didn't want their pictures in the paper. We respect their attitude in situations like that, and we try to work with it." The picture that ran in the ~Free Press~ the following day showed only Jarvi.

The music critics for both the ~Free Press~ and the Detroit ~News~ remain on strike. The ~News~ ran a review of the September 14 opening concert written by a freelance journalist, while the ~Free Press~ ran no review.

Kansas City Symphony: New Associate Conductor

Daniel Hege, music director of the Chicago Youth Symphony and the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra, has been appointed associate conductor of the Kansas City Symphony. Hege studied conducting at the University of Utah and also studied with Daniel Lewis of the University of Southern California. He was awarded the BMI Foundation/Lionel Newman Conducting Scholarship in 1990.

Hege made his debut with the orchestra in a Labor Day concert. He replaced former associate conductor Hugo Vianello, who retired last spring.

Minnesota Orchestra: Hiroshima Memorial Meets with Protests

A scheduled performance by the Minnesota Orchestra and its new music director, Eiji Oue, of "Requiem Hiroshima," a work by Japanese composer Tomiko Kojiba, has been met with protests by local Chinese-American and Korean-American groups. The groups are upset that the work is "mourning for the (Japanese) dead, but... not concerned about Japan's role as the aggressor in Asia," said KaiMay Yen Terry, who originated the protests. Terry spent some time in Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation, which she described as a "reign of terror."

Oue, who was born in Hiroshima, denied ulterior motives in programming the work. He described his motivation as "fundamentally an artistic one, not a political one and certainly not a revisionist one. I programmed it because I know the composer well and I know the piece well. I am profoundly aware that the war was and continues to be a source of suffering for millions of people."

Terry said that the goal of the protests was not to force cancellation of performances of the work, but rather to make the audience aware of Japan's role as a member of the Axis during World War II. Minnesota Orchestra management declined, however, to meet any of the requests of the protesters, which included printing an essay about Japan's role or an advertisement setting forth the protesters' views in the program book.

Orchestra president David Hyslop pointed to a performance by the orchestra in 1966 of Penderecki's "Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima," which passed without incident. He said that the orchestra would not put itself in the position "of not playing a piece because of outside groups." In a letter to local citizen groups representing Asian-Americans, orchestra board chair Nicky Carpenter was more conciliatory. She told the groups that the work would be performed in the context of "recognizing the horror of human suffering."

Terry has spoken about her protest to at least one local veterans' group, a gathering of the 4th Marine Division, which fought on Iwo Jima against the Japanese. She has declined to predict what forms any protests at the concert may take, telling the St. Paul ~Pioneer Press~ that "we don't want to say things until we do them. There are many ways to let the world know about history for what it was... we are not talking about the Napoleonic Wars; we are talking about here and now."

Music Medicine: Harder on the Eyes than the Ears?

A recent study conducted at Northwestern University in Chicago demonstrates that brass players experience sharp increases in eye pressure when playing high notes. The study, conducted by Theodore Krupin, an opthamologist at the university's medical school, links such high notes to an increased risk of glaucoma and even blindness.

Krupin tested 30 musicians, including trumpeters, hornists, oboists, and saxophonists. He found the most pronounced pressure increase in the trumpeters and hornists, with some pressure increase noticed in the oboists as well.

"I think the research is very interesting", Dr. Peter Netland, a Harvard opthamologist, told the Associated Press. "That type of behavior may be associated with worsening of glaucoma if you have some tendency towards it, or it could cause the disease in someone who otherwise wouldn't be affected."

Krupin recommended that musicians at risk have their eye pressure measured while playing.

New York Philharmonic: New Director of Development

from the management of the New York Philharmonic, August 7:

Joan Siffert has been named Director of Development for the New York Philharmonic effective September 11, it was announced today by the Orchestra's Executive Director, Deborah Borda. "We are pleased to welcome Ms. Siffert to the Philharmonic," said Ms. Borda. "She brings a remarkable track record in fund-raising and a great depth of experience in development. She is the ideal candidate for this position."

Ms. Siffert said, "I'm proud and excited to be accepting this position. The New York Philharmonic represents one of the world's finest cultural institutions. I'm delighted to be able to help ensure its continued greatness into the 21st century."

As Director of Development for the Philharmonic, Ms. Siffert reports to Ms. Borda and is responsible for the planning and supervision of all fundraising activities, the Annual Fund, the Gift Planning Program, various sponsorships, and the activities of the Volunteer Council.

Ms. Siffert has for nine years been Director of Special Gifts of the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Jewish Philanthropies, where she is responsible for gifts of $50,000 and over for the annual campaign. Through her efforts the organization last year raised $39 million in this category.

Previously Ms. Siffert spent five years as Associate Director of Development at the Mount Sinai Medical Center. She served there as Director of Foundations and Corporations, and later created the Planned Giving program, which raises funds for the ongoing critical needs of the Medical Center and its Capital Campaign and Endowment funds.

Ms. Siffert grew up in Manhattan and lives on the Upper West Side. She graduated from Mills College of Education, and completed studies for a Master's Degree at Bank Street College of Education.

New West Symphony: A Protest from the Troops

from the orchestra committee of the Ventura County Symphony, September 23:

There are some glaring omissions in this article ("AFM SAVES JOBS AS TWO SYMPHONIES MERGE," published as "New West Symphony: Merger Agreement Negotiated": DOS Orchestra 043) to which the VCS Orchestra Committee would like to respond.

First, despite management's notification that they would cease operations at the end of the season, THERE WERE NO NOTICES OF NON-RENEWAL SENT TO THE MUSICIANS AS PER OUR CONTRACT. The lawyer retained by Local 581 in Ventura advised us to file charges with NLRB (National Labor Relations Board), but this was never pursued by the AFM.

Second, the article says that "NWS and the Union explored an audition process that would have given the union a loaded vote for a behind the screen audition. This was rejected by the musicians." Why was the AFM even discussing this with NWS when we had repeatedly told them we should not be required to audition because there was a legal precedent for not doing them? Our lawyer had sent a legal position paper to the AFM explaining in great detail why NWS was considered an alter-ego of the VCS and was therefore obligated to continue employing us. NWS had threatened several times to cancel everything if there were no auditions. Based on past experience, we knew that this was an empty threat. But for some unknown reason, the AFM believed this threat and that there would be no jobs at all. Since when is the AFM in the business of saving organizations at the expense of the musicians? These were OUR jobs on the line; not just any union jobs that the AFM had an obligation to save. Isn't this why we all pay dues?

Third, when AFM President Young and NWS President Blonquist struck their deal, IT WAS WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OR INPUT FROM THE MUSICIANS. And this was done despite our daily calls to ask about the status of the negotiations with NWS. In a memo written by Barbara Nielsen for President Young dated August 29, 1995, we were assured that "No closed door negotiations are taking place with NWS ... and please be assured that no one has been removed form the collective bargaining process." We were simply informed AFTER the agreement was signed. The agreement lacks the most basic elements any AFM agreement should have; a grievance procedure, binding arbitration and a union security clause. In short, it is unenforceable except to place them back on the Unfair List for violations of this agreement. And there have been several violations already. There also was no provision made for the Orchestra Committee members being discriminated against with regard to the hiring of the 40 musicians from the VCS and CSO for NWS. When we received the list of 40 musicians, to no ones surprise, none of the Orchestra Committee members names were included. But NWS remain off the Unfair List despite these violations.

Finally, we believe President Young THOUGHT these discussions were in good faith with Mr. Blonquist, but he failed to understand that Mr. Blonquist would not be implementing this agreement but that management and the conductor would be doing it. Who is going to enforce this agreement? At present, it appears no one.

A far more serious message emerges from all this: If a symphony organization wants to merge or close its doors and reform as another organization, the AFM will not stop it. They won't be there to protect OUR jobs.

In short it's open season on all our symphony jobs. Small wonder that unionism is falling by the way-side in this country. In a time when the existence of NEA and many arts organizations are being threatened, can the AFM afford such a stance? We think not. Perhaps it's time for the AFM to revisit its mission statement.

Omaha Symphony: New Labor Agreement

from Dwight Thomas, Omaha Symphony:

Members of the Omaha Symphony ratified a new five year collective bargaining agreement with the Omaha Symphony Association on September 18. The agreement provides for an average 16.5% raise in the musicians' income over five years, not including an additional 8% pension contribution, added to the benefits package for the first time in this contract. There was also a $100 "signing bonus" paid to all contracted players, both core and per-service. Two principal players (percussion and keyboard) also become members of the full-time core orchestra. For the first time, players who perform in small ensembles receive additional overscale for those performances. Musicians will also now receive more paid personal leave and paid paternity leave, along with shorter rehearsals on days involving double opera and ballet services.

San Jose Symphony: New Broadcasts, But Not at Home

The San Jose Symphony has begun appearing on Bay Area radios for the first time in its history. Unfortunately, the broadcasts in San Francisco station KDFC can barely be heard in the San Jose area, due to distance and obstructions. The station has petitioned the FCC to build a booster station in the Sunnyvale-Mountain View area, and hopes for approval of the petition by the end of the year.

The new tower, if built, would return classical music to the airwaves in the South Bay area. In 1994, KKHI, the leading Bay Area classical music station, was sold and now operates out of Los Angeles, programming jazz and commercial recordings.

KDFC, which was also recently sold, has added several area orchestras to its broadcast schedule, including the Marin Symphony, the California Symphony, the Berkeley Symphony, and the New Century Chamber Orchestra. It has also picked up the live broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera, which were a staple of KKHI's programming for years.

KDFC will pay $35,000 to the San Jose Symphony for the 13-broadcast series.

Seattle Symphony: Live on the Web

The Seattle Symphony will become the first orchestra in the world to appear live on the World Wide Web. The orchestra will perform works by various Seattle rock groups, including Nirvana, Screaming Trees, and Pearl Jam on November 10 at Seattle's Paramount Theater. The event, to be called "Cyberian Rhapsody," will be a benefit for the King County United Way, and is underwritten by Seafirst Bank. The concert was originally conceived by Chip Wilson, executive producer of the Paramount Theater and president of Intertainet, a local media/entertainment production company.

The orchestra will be conducted by its music director, Gerard Schwarz, in arrangements by William Thomas McKinley. The concert will appear on the Web at http://www.theparamount.com/intertainet.

Deaths

Eleanor Aller Slatkin, an acclaimed studio cellist and studio musician, died on October 12 in Los Angeles at the age of 78.

She was a native New Yorker who first performed in Carnegie Hall at the age of 12. She later moved to Los Angeles, where she played in the Warner Brothers studio orchestra from 1939 to 1968.She and her husband, Felix Slatkin, another well-known studio musician, formed the Hollywood Quartet, which performed and recorded extensively and became one of the most highly regarded quartets of its generation.

After retiring from the Warner Bros. studio orchestra, she was chair of the the string department at DePaul University in Chicago from 1968 to 1970.

She is survived by two sons, Leonard Slatkin, who is music director of the National Symphony, and Frederick Zlotkin, a New York-based cellist.
Lillian Fuchs, one of the foremost violists and string pedagogues of her generation, died on October 6 in Englewood (NJ) at the age of 91.

Fuchs began her musical studies on piano and studied violin with her father. She graduated from the New York Institute of Musical Art (now the Julliard School) in 1924, and made her New York debut on violin in 1926.Shortly after her debut she began to specialize on the viola.

She appeared as a soloist with a number of major orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, and often performed chamber music with her brothers, Joseph Fuchs, the noted violinist, and Harry Fuchs, who played cello.

Fuchs was the first violist to record the Bach cello suites, and was an active composer as well. Both Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman studied chamber music with her.

She is survived by her brother Joseph, two daughters, Barbara Stein Mallow and Carol Stein Amado, and four grandchildren.
Jack E. Murphy, a former publicity director for the New York Philharmonic, died of cancer on September 16 at his home in Manhattan. He was 74.

Murphy attended the University of Florence after military service in World War II. He was managing director of the Italian Chamber Orchestra from 1951 to 1957, when he returned to the United States to work for Herbert Barrett Management.

He joined the staff of the New York Philharmonic as associate director of publicity in 1975, and retired in 1981. While at the Philharmonic, he coordinated the 1976 Celebration of Contemporary Music, a joint project of the orchestra and the Julliard School.

He is survived by his companion, Anthony Carobine, and a brother.
Copyright 1995, International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians

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