Issue: December 2015
There is currently a financial crisis in Puerto Rico. The government’s debt is more than $72 billion and it missed a payment for the first time in August. The local economy has been in recession for ten consecutive years. Some of our ICSOM colleagues have had to deal with the effects of economic crises, but the structure of the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra (OSPR) makes the difficulties of our … [Read more...]
Issue: Counsel's Columns
Recently, the United Auto Workers (UAW) reached contract agreements with Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler. The essential details of these largely similar deals have been reported in the press. The UAW obtained wage increases of 3% to 4% annually through a combination of raises and bonuses, and there is now a pathway to elimination of the two-tier system in which employees hired after 2007 … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2015
Working together to achieve a common goal is the heart of unionism. And an important part of working together, of collaboration, is the communication that makes it all possible. In a union as large as the AFM, it’s important that musicians understand what everyone else is doing. In these next few issues of Senza Sordino I’d like to open up the dialog about issues that should concern us, so we can … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2015
The Kansas City Symphony Enjoys a Taste of New York As Major League Baseball finalized its World Series matchup, on October 23rd during a Kansas City Symphony concert, KCS Music Director Michael Stern proposed a friendly wager to New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert: if the New York Mets won the World Series the KCS would send Kansas City’s best BBQ, and when the Kansas City Royals … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2015
On October 5, 2015, ICSOM lost one of its cofounders, Reinhardt Elster. The distinguished harpist, who performed everything from jazz to opera with many of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, died peacefully at his home in western Massachusetts after complications from a fall. He was 101. Mr. Elster was born in Hammond, Indiana, on July 23, 1914, the only child of German and Swedish … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2015
Several years ago, Peter Schickele (well known for his “discovery” of P.D.Q. Bach) created a radio program for Public Radio International called “Schickele Mix”. The show’s motto was a quote from Duke Ellington: If it sounds good, it is good. Over more than 175 episodes, Schickele explored the connections between almost every genre of western music. For example, his first show contained music of … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2015
Nearly 100 ICSOM delegates, officers and orchestra members, Local officers, AFM officers and staff, Players Conferences representatives, and attorneys were on hand August 25 to 29, for the 53rd ICSOM Conference at the Sonesta Philadelphia Hotel, and the total would have been even greater if two member orchestras, the Boston and San Francisco Symphonies, hadn’t been on tour in Europe. The 2015 … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2015
For the first time ever at an ICSOM conference, delegates participated in a community outreach event. Coming together in Philadelphia, Tuesday August 25th on the eve of the official conference opening session, delegates from 12 member orchestras, members of the ICSOM Governing Board, and lCSOM Legal Counsel Susan Martin met at the Broad Street Ministry (BSM), a facility which provides meals and … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2015
From the first moment of my conscious memory, I have struggled with depression. In the decade that I have spent traveling to meet with musicians, I have often seen a look in the eyes of those in the back of the room that I recognize all too well. Sometimes I understand that it is situational; after all I am often meeting with people fighting for the survival of their orchestras and their careers. … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2015
We would like to extend our overwhelming thanks to ICSOM for the support you have shown us since Orchestra London Canada (OLC) closed its doors in mid-December of last year. Without your financial support we would have been unable to present any performances since the OLC insolvency. For those of you who are not aware of the circumstances of the #WePlayOn musicians, we would like to give you a … [Read more...]
