Breaking News from Orchestras and Musicians
September 10, 1996: The Portland Oregonian reported that "Oregon Symphony musicians, deadlocked in over contract negotiations, plan to strike Tuesday today for the first time in the organization's 100-year history.
"The symphony is scheduled to open its subscription season this Sunday with Andre Watts, the celebrated pianist Andre Watts as guest soloist. As far as management's concerned, that concert is still on, said Don Roth, president of the Oregon Symphony Association.
"However the players will begin their strike by not attending a scheduled rehearsal this morning, Tuesday said Fred Sautter, the musicians' spokesman and principal trumpet player. They will picket the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall instead."
September 9, 1996: David Zinman has announced that he will not renew his contract as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on a demonstration/news conference held by orchestra musicians on September 8, saying that " Two veteran orchestra members performed in the Doubletree Hotel lobby to publicize contentious labor negotiations between their union and orchestra management. The current contract expires Sunday, and the orchestra's new season is scheduled to open Sept. 17.
``If it expires without reaching a new agreement, the orchestra is fully prepared to strike,'' said Larry Grika.
Grika's news conference setting, near a parking lot at Broad and Spruce
streets, was significant because the lot has been touted for the last decade
as the site of the new orchestra hall.
September 8, 1996: The Philadelphia Inquirer
reported that "The Philadelphia Orchestra has decided it is
unable to build a concert hall itself and will let someone else have a try.
"The orchestra's board has voted to turn the project over to a new,
as yet unformed nonprofit
corporation that would build, own and operate a new concert hall along with
a new performing-arts
center -- perhaps as a single structure. It would also manage, though not
own, the Academy of
Music, the orchestra's present home."
September 7, 1996: The members of the Philadelphia Orchestra have scheduled
a press conference for September 8 to "provide
a general update on the status of negotiations and the Orchestra, their
Goals and Objectives, their contingency plans in the advent of a strike
(strike funding, picketing, plans for the scheduled opening of the Orchestra
season, etc.), and be available for questions." The orchestra's collective
bargaining agreement expires on September 15.
September 6, 1996: The Sacramento
Bee reported that "While leaders for the Sacramento Symphony
filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Thursday, a group of musicians scrambled
behind the scenes to try to muster a majority vote for a contract that could
save the orchestra.
"'The bankruptcy is filed,' Sacramento Symphony Association President
John Courson said. 'An interim trustee will be appointed in the next few
days.'
"At the same time, in an unexpected turn of events, a deep rift emerged
among the musicians, with some objecting to the position taken by their
negotiating team this week to reject a contract offer from symphony managers
without putting it before the players for a vote."
The Florida Philharmonic has appointed
Jenni Person to the position of Education
Coordinator.
September 5, 1996: The Sacramento
Bee reported that " A last-minute government bailout of
nearly a half-million dollars failed to produce a labor agreement Wednesday
for the Sacramento Symphony, leaving the orchestra that has entertained
the capital for decades on the verge of extinction.
"As a 5 p.m. deadline passed with no settlement between musicians and
their bosses, symphony board president John Courson declared that efforts
to save the orchestra were over and that he and other leaders would file
for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this morning.
"'There's no deal, no transaction,' Courson said. 'We tried our best
and we're terribly disappointed.'"
The Buffalo News reported that "The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra has taken another step forward in the slow climb back from near-financial collapse a year ago by surpassing the $2 million goal in its annual fund drive.
"At the same time, the orchestra failed in the fiscal year that ended Saturday to stem the operating losses that almost led to its demise.
"Although it expects to show a surplus of about $200,000 after a
onetime positive charge, the orchestra actually lost about $250,000 on
operations, said Executive Director Joseph E. Goodell."
September 4, 1996: The Sacramento
Bee reported that " The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors
tentatively agreed Tuesday to provide a public bailout of$80,000 a year
for three years to the Sacramento Symphony.
"But the new money comes with strings attached: The county will only
provide the money if the City Council provides a matching grant -- something
the council was discussing late Tuesday.
"And the government money will go away if management and musicians
for the orchestra do not reach a labor pact by 5 p.m. today."
September 3, 1996: Musicians of the Shreveport Symphony have agreed
to federal mediation of their labor dispute.
September 2, 1996: Musicians of the Shreveport Symphony will
meet on Tuesday evening to vote on whether to strike or work-and-talk
for the opening concerts of the 1996-97 season scheduled for this weekend.
The Florida Philharmonic has a new
web site, and has also announced a new subscription
sales initiative directed at students.
September 1, 1996: Musicians of the Shreveport Symphony have
rejected the "Concluding Offer" presented to them by their
management.
Musicians of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra
have unanimously voted to authorize a strike. The musicians
and management have both issued press releases.
August 31, 1996: The Sacramento
Bee reported that "Local city and county government leaders have
offered a potential rescue package of nearly a half-million dollars to help
the Sacramento Symphony buy labor peace with musicians and avoid going bankrupt.
"But as of late Friday night, the possible bailout wasn't enough to
generate a contract agreement between the orchestra's musicians and management,
leaving the possibility of a shutdown still looming over the musical organization.
"As talks abruptly broke off at about 6 p.m. Friday, a difference of
about $100,000 a year for three years -- money tied to a possible new donation
by the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians -- plus some intense bad feelings marked
the key obstacles still standing between the two feuding sides."
August 26, 1996: The Minnesota
Orchestra announced the release of an
animated "StoryConcert" video based on the childrens' book "On
The Day You Were Born."
The Chicago Symphony announced CSO Preview
Weekend. , a special preview of its upcoming season on WFMT, on
September 7 and 8 .
August 24, 1996: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that "John
Glover, chairman of the board of directors of the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra , has canceled a meeting scheduled for Monday night
at the Woodruff Arts Center between members of the boards of the ASO and
Community Supporters of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
"The meeting had been called in a letter dated Aug. 16 and signed by
ASO president Allison Vulgamore and CSASO chair Lori Evers, stating "we
are working together to answer the questions raised by the Supporters.
"But in a memo from Glover to the ASO board dated Aug. 22, Glover calls
a 5-page letter mailed Aug. 8 to ASO board members by the CSASO "deeply
distasteful and offensive . . . full of base and false innuendos regarding
this Board." The letter says ASO "has an unwillingness to share
important information" and that the ASO executive committe made major
fiscal decisions without full board consideration."
August 15: Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra League Board Chairman,John Glover announced today
that the organization has received a gift commitment
of $200,000, putting the orchestra over the $5 million mark in new endowment
gifts and pledges received since March 13, 1996.
August 14, 1996: Reuters reported that " theVienna Philharmonic,
one of Austria's few remaining male strongholds, will begin admitting women
because there are not enough qualified men to keep the orchestra going,
its director said late Tuesday... Culture Minister Rudolf Scholten had even
threatened to cut state subsidies to the celebrated orchestra if it refused
to change its men only policy."
August 8, 1996: The Oregon Symphony
Orchestra announced a neighborhood revitalization
project in "an annual series of parks concerts, festival and year-long
educational outreach activities."
August 4, 1996: The Baltimore Sun reported that:
The Baltimore Symphony
Orchestra and its musicians
agreed yesterday to a five-year contract that will result in
pay cuts for the players beginning with the start of the
fall season.
"The settlement, called the "most concessionary contract
ever" by the chairman of the players' committee, brings to
a close a 10 1/2-month period -- among the longest for
a major American orchestra -- in which the musicians
performed without a labor agreement.
"'It is a long-term contract which involves very
substantial wage sacrifices from the orchestra, more than
we would have wanted to have asked from the musicians,
but necessary to stabilize the orchestra,' said BSO Executive
Director John Gidwitz.
"'It is not the contract that any of us would have preferred to
have, but it is the one we needed.'"
July 15: The Kansas City Symphony announced
that it ended its 1995-96 season with a balanced budget, and also has received
a grant to support its new associate conductor, has hired a new finance
director, and has appointed a chair for its music director search committee.
July 5: The New
York Times reported that George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York
Yankees, held back a $300,000 pledge made months ago to the Florida Orchestra
on the grounds that he "love[d] classical music. But the average American
isn't that fond of it. There should be more emphasis on pops."
July 4: The San Diego Union--Tribune
reported that "The San Diego City Council voted [on June 27] to commit
$500,000 in future hotel-motel room-tax revenue as seed money for an endowment
fund if a new symphony orchestra is organized to replace the bankrupt San
Diego Symphony."
July 1: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has announced
a tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland in September 1996.
June 27: The Charlotte
Observer reported that "Former vice president for development Julie
Duke has been named as vice president and general manager in charge of production
and artistic operations, a post she has held temporarily since the spring."
June 23: The New York Philharmonic
has appointed Polly R. Winograd, formerly assistant director of marketing,
to the position of Associate Director of Public Relations.
June 21: Frank Kistler, general manager of the Louisville Orchestra,
told the San Diego "Union-Tribune" on June 2 that he didn't think
that higher salaries for the orchestra's musicians would have any impact
on the orchestra's quality. "It's a mediocre orchestra. There are players
in the orchestra who haven't practiced since the late '70s. Giving them
more money isn't going to help. They'll still be playing in the orchestra,
playing the way they always do."
June 19: The San Diego Daily
Transcript reported that "San Diego Symphony bankruptcy proceedings
are moving ahead. "
June 17: The New York Philharmonic
has appoined Carter Brey to the principal
cello position.
June 14: Stephen Stamas and H. Frederick
Krimendahl 2d, respectively chairman and president of the New
York Philharmonic have resigned, effective upon the appointment of their
predecessors, according to the New
York Times. The article speculated that the resignations were a consequence
of lingering bitterness amongst the orchestra's musicians over last year's
labor negotiations.
June 13: The New York Philharmonic
announced its 1996 tour of European festivals.
June 10: The members of the Milwaukee
Symphony Orchestra ratified a new three-year
labor agreement for the seasons 1996-1999.
The bankrupt San Diego Symphony will not receive money from the city's transient
occupancy tax income set aside to support local arts organizations, according
to the San Diego Daily
Transcript.
June 8: The general director of the Chicago Lyric Opera, Ardis Krainik,
has announced that she will
retire next year.
June 7: The Florida
Philharmonic Orchestra ended its season with a small
surplus and record contributions and ticket sales.
June 6: The Chicago Symphony has ended its 105th year with a new record in audience attendance.
The Tulsa Opera agreed to a two-year collective
bargaining agreement with Local 94, AFM.
The Florida
Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus announced today that there will be four opportunities for non-members to sing
with the group.
June 5: The Milwaukee Symphony
Orchestra named Andreas Delfs as the orchestra's next
music director. There is a story in today's Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel .
June 3: The San Diego Daily
Transcript reported "There was action in the [San Diego Symphony
bankruptcy] case in that the interim trustee hired an attorney, and Bank
of America, which is the principal bank of a consortium that holds a lien
on Copley Symphony Hall, declared
that a $2.16 million loan had been forgiven."
News Archives -- May 1996
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