Breaking News from Orchestras and Musicians
Sept.24 |
The Philadelphia Inquirer
had an article on the economic impact of the Philadelphia Orchestra strike |
Sept.23 |
The musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra issued a position
paper on their current strike.
The Philadelphia Daily
News had two
related pieces on the economic impact of the Philadelphia Orchestra
and the current strike.
An article by David Stabler of the Portland Oregonian on the Oregon Symphony Orchestra strike concluded
by stating:
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In the end, as DePreist said, it comes down to Portland's
hunger for a symphony. A lot of people might be surprised that 300,000 people
attended symphony concerts last year -- right behind the Trail Blazers in
popularity.
Isn't that worth the price of one-third of a Jordan game? |
|
Sept.22 |
Striking Philadelphia Orchestra musicians gave a free concert on September,
21. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer,
| |
Dissonant cries of protest momentarily gave way to sweet
harmony yesterday morning as members of the Philadelphia Orchestra played
their first strike concert in a weeklong work stoppage.
The concert was aimed at children -- ``the present and
future audiences of the Philadelphia Orchestra,'' said Luis Biava, the orchestra's
conductor in residence, to a standing-room-only crowd at the First Unitarian
Church of Philadelphia. |
Carm Adams, former Secretary-Treasurer and President of AFM Local 566,
Windsor, Ontario, and a former administrative assistant for the American
Federation of Musicians, died on September 21 in London, Ontario. |
Sept.21 |
The Associated Press reported that "remaining September performances
by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra were cancelled Saturday, a day after the
orchestra's musicians went on strike. |
Sept.20 |
Musicians of the Atlanta Symphony are on
strike.
The Community Supporters of The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (CSASO) filed
suit to prevent the ASO League (ASOL) from holding its annual meeting next
Wednesday, according to the Atlanta Journal. The paper reported that:
| |
CSASO's lawsuit, filed Wednesday afternoon in Fulton
County Superior Court - and brought against the Woodruff Memorial Arts Center
Inc., the ASOL, ASO board chairman John T. Glover, and ASO president Allison
Vulgamore - alleges the ASOL board violated five basic provisions of its
bylaws, including scheduling its annual meeting without properly notifying
ASOL members.
Of the lawsuit, CSOSA chairman Lori Evers said,"We
believe that all members of the ASOL have a right to be heard regarding
the direction, future and management of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
People are not having an opportunity to be heard." |
Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall will receive a $2
million grant from the Chrysler Corporation Fund. Half of the grant
will go to DSOH's Orchestra Place development project, the first such corporate
grant to the project.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
reported on the first planned strike concert
by the musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and also had an editorial
which opened:
| |
The musicians are on strike. Opening night went without
a concert. Ticket-holders are worried about a beloved institution. And Peter
A. Benoliel, Philadelphia Orchestra chairman, cuts off public discussion
at the orchestra's annual meeting Wednesday after only 20 minutes.
``It is traditional to dine between the hours of noon and
2,'' was his explanation.
Let's hope that Mr. Benoliel and orchestra president Joseph
Kluger won't let their allegiance to tradition prevent them from developing
new and different ways to attract broadcast contracts, record labels, expanded
audiences -- and, urgently, an end to the current labor strife. |
The Philadelphia Daily
News had an article on the Teamsters' reaction to the strike. |
Sept.17 |
The Philadelphia Inquirer
reported that, as Philadelphia Orchestra musicians walked a rainy picket
line,
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Union negotiator Stuart W. Davidson presented the Orchestra
Association with a counterproposal to what management called its final offer.
Management had not responded last night.
``The talks appear to be a continuation of the discussions
prior to the strike vote,'' said Davidson, ``which were not fruitful then
and are not fruitful now. I'm not optimistic because it does not appear
to me that the association has taken seriously the response of the musicians.''
A federal mediator was brought in, though his role in talks
last night was as an observer, Davidson said.
|
In a strange coincidence, the Associated Press reported that
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"These are troubled times for some of America's classiest
names in classical music. Philadelphia's orchestra, the first in the United
States to make a record, lost its recording contract this summer and its
musicians went on strike Sunday night...Other big-city orchestras face the
same prospect, said Philadelphia Orchestra President Joseph Kluger...Unless
recording costs go down, music companies have little incentive to embrace
American symphonies, Kluger said. A classical piece that cost $50,000 to
be recorded in London costs more than twice that in the United States, he
said. |
The New
York Times also has a story on the Philadelphia situation.
The Buffalo News reported on a new labor agreement between the
Buffalo Philharmonic and its musicians, saying that:
| |
Under a three-year settlement ratified Friday, musicians
will receive the first real increase in wages and benefits since the late
1980s, reversing a series of bitter defeats suffered as management won concession
after concession to stem the orchestra's losses.
Both the musicians' union and the Orchestra Society expect
the orchestra's financial performance to improve enough over the three-year
term of the contract to cover the increases.
"Everything we agreed to is in the context of making
budgets," said Robert A. Reed, the orchestra's general manager.
"We're confident this is going to work," said
Don Harry, the musicians' lead negotiator.
...Notably missing from the negotiations, which both sides
agreed to conduct without public comment, was the rancor that marked past
talks as the foundering organization extracted give-back after give-back
from the players. |
|
Sept.16 |
The Philadelphia Inquirer
reported that, after the musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra voted unanimously
to reject management's final contract offer and to strike,
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the orchestra association announced that it had canceled
all performances through Sept. 24 --a total of six concerts.
"'This management has unified the orchestra as nothing
else in its history,'' said violinist Larry Grika, head of the negotiating
committee. ``But the management has left us no alternative. . . . This is
a fantastic night for this orchestra.'' |
The view from the board's perspective was quite different, according
to the Philadelphia Daily
News. "'This is a very sad time for the orchestra,' Peter Benoliel,
chairman of the orchestra board, told the paper. 'This is a strike that
didn't have to happen.''' There was also a statement
from the board.
The New York Philharmonic announced
its third annual "New York Philharmonic: Take 3." WQXR 96.3FM
will donate 27 hours of air time to help the orchestra promote its "Take
3" three-concert subscription series. The orchestra also announced
its fifth annual "Philharmonic Forum" with music director Kurt
Masur and executive director Deborah Borda. The topic of the forum, to be
held on October 4 from 6 PM to 7 PM in Avery Fisher Hall, will be the season's
programming.
The Chicago Symphony will dedicate its third week of subscription concerts
to the memory of former music director Rafael Kubelik, who died at the age
of 82 on August 12. Kubelik, who was with the orchestra from 1950 to 1953,
was the orchestra's fifth music director.
The Oregon Symphony management issued a media
alert about its musicians going on strike, as well as a position
paper. |
Sept.15 |
Musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra voted unanimously to reject management's
final contract offer and to strike. Picket lines will be up on Monday morning
(September 16). According to Reuter:
| |
"Musicians planned to begin picketing the famed Academy
of Music on Monday morning in the first strike by the orchestra players
in 30 years.
"Bob Bedard, spokesman for the musicians, said on
Sunday ``management has already called to seek a resumption of negotiations.'' |
The Philadelphia Inquirer
reported that
| |
"Philadelphia Orchestra chairman Peter A. Benoliel sent
hand-delivered letters to orchestra musicians yesterday, urging them to
accept the most recent contract offer and not to strike when they meet tonight
at the Doubletree Hotel's Eugene Ormandy Ballroom." |
|
Sept.14 |
Musicians of the Richmond Symphony ratified a new
3-year agreement.
Musicians of the Dayton Philharmonic ratified a new
3-year agreement.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
| |
"Members of the Philadelphia Orchestra met yesterday to mull management's
final contract offer -- a proposal that players say amounts to a pay cut,
and that forces them to contemplate going on strike for the first time since
1966.
"Orchestra chairman Peter A. Benoliel, however, called the offer
``competitive, fair and equitable,'' and said the package was the best the
orchestra association could do given its financial problems.
"The offer calls for increases in base salary over three years,
but also a reduction -- and then elimination -- of a key component of the
contract that guarantees additional income from recordings and broadcasts.
"The 105 members of the union will vote tomorrow night on the deal.
Their negotiating committee has unanimously recommended that the offer be
rejected, according to one member of the committee. |
The Philadelphia Daily
News also has a story on the situation.
Philadelphia Orchestra described strike
preparations in a press release.
The Associated Press reported that Brazilian conductor Eleazar de Carvalho
died on September 12 at the age of 84. The AP said that "Carvalho's
career spanned 50 years during which he conducted 3,000 concerts. He was
described by local music critics as one of thworld's greatest conductors.
In 1947, he made his overseas debut conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
He also conducted the philharmonic orchestras of Berlin and Vienna. Between
1951 and 1965 he taught conducting at the Berkshire Music Center in Massachusetts
and at New York's Juilliard School of Music. He also taught at Yale from
1987 to 1993."
|
| Sept. 13 |
Musicians of the Buffalo Philhmarmonic have approved a new three-year
labor agreement with wage and pension increases.
The management of the Philadelphia Orchestra outlined its final offer
to its musicians in a press
release. |
Sept.12 |
The London Symphony Orchestra has
a new web site.
The American Symphony Orchestra League is requesting
"nominations for and expressions of interest in the presidency of the
American Symphony Orchestra League."
The Philadelphia Orchestra is back on the
radio, although not in a way that will please everyone.
The management of the Philadelphia Orchestra has presented its musicians
with a second and supposedly "final offer" early this morning,
according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
| |
"Neither side would describe the proposal in detail. Stuart W. Davidson,
the musicians' negotiator, said the deal called for a pay cut and
predicted that it would be rejected. 'My sense is that the membership
of the orchestra is committed to the idea that they should not step
backwards,' he said.
"Management has sought the elimination of the so-called electronic-media
guarantee, which compensates musicians for recordings and radio broadcasts.
This past year, it ensured at least an additional $6,000 per musician,
above a weekly salary of $1,460.
"The orchestra has not had regular radio broadcasts in several years and
last month lost its recording contract with EMI. Musicians blame management
for both loses.
"The orchestra's 103 musicians and two librarians are expected to be
presented with an offer this afternoon and are scheduled to vote on it
Sunday night, hours before the current contract expires."
|
|
Sept. 11 |
Negotiators for the Sacramento Symphony musicians announced Tuesday that
an effort by some musicians to hold a vote on a final contract offer has
died , according to the Sacramento Bee
| |
"An effort by some Sacramento Symphony musicians to hold a vote on
a final contract offer has died, negotiators for the musicians
announced Tuesday.
"At a morning news conference, the musician leaders urged symphony
board members to continue negotiations and to offer more pay and
better working conditions to players rather than proceeding with
bankruptcy.
"'It may not be irreparable. It may be reversible,' said Brian
Schweickhardt, a clarinet player who was designated the new
spokesman for the musicians.
"However, John V. Diepenbrock, symphony board chairman, said the
board had offered all it could afford to the players. When the
musicians' negotiators turned down the last offer, he said, the
board had no other option but to move ahead with the liquidation.
"'We've made our last and final offer,' Diepenbrock said. 'It's the
maximum we can afford.'"
|
The Philadephia Inquirer
reported that "Musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra faxed a letter
yesterday to music director Wolfgang Sawallisch, asking for his support
in their quest for a new contract and advising him that it ``now appears
unlikely that the season will start on time.''
| |
"Little progress was made yesterday in talks
between players and management of the orchestra. Health care, tour schedules
and a few smaller issues were among the topics under discussion into the
night. The three-year agreement expires at 12:01 a.m. Monday, with talks
scheduled through Friday.
"On economics, the orchestra association is seeking
to eliminate the so-called electronic media guarantee, which, in the last
year of the current contract, guaranteed each musician at least an additional
$6,000 above base salary to compensate for recordings and broadcasts.
"During negotiations Monday, violinist Larry Grika
took the proposal and tore it up.
"'Pure nonsense,'' said Grika, head of the negotiating
committee. ``It's insulting to the membership.''
In addition, the paper's business commentator, B.J. Phillips,
wrote on the Philadelphia Orchestra's recent decision to give up on building
its own hall. |
|
Sept. 10 |
Oregon Symphony musicians will go
on strike on Tuesday, according to the Portland Oregonian..
| |
"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."
|
|
Sept. 9 |
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.
| |
" 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. " |
|
Sept. 8 |
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 orporation 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.
ICSOM Home Page More news: through August 1996 May 1996