Issue: Counsel's Columns
During the “Delegate Duel” at the Detroit ICSOM Conference, delegates were challenged to address a number of hot topics in the legal arena. One of these topics involved the use of social media. In the future I hope to address other issues that may affect your day-to-day handling of grievances, negotiations, and enforcement of the collective bargaining agreement. Not surprisingly, the explosion … [Read more...]
Issue: November 2011
Issue: November 2011
When the San Francisco Symphony celebrates its centennial this year, it will be a season to remember. An ambitious eleven months of concerts, programs, and events, as well as expanded education programs and media initiatives, will invite the entire region to join in on the festivities. The season will also accentuate the vibrant role of the American orchestra in our communities, in part by … [Read more...]
Issue: November 2011
Today is Labor Day, and as a member of the Twin Cities Musicians’ Union and a member of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, it feels like a very good day to reflect on what that means. Last week I volunteered for our local at the AFL-CIO booth at the Minnesota State Fair. In spite of it being the hottest day of the week, it was a very enjoyable experience. There were representatives from a variety … [Read more...]
Issue: November 2011
The San Francisco Opera Company completed an immensely successful Ring Cycle in July—the first Ring Cycle in San Francisco since 1999. At a time when the relevance and significance of the art form are being seriously and repeatedly questioned, the measure of this production’s success is not confined to the numerous accolades garnered by the company and everyone associated with it, as this Ring … [Read more...]
Issue: November 2011
After the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s 75th anniversary season, the musicians returned from their summer break to learn that agreement had been reached for a new contract. The new contract, ratified on September 27, was for an unprecedented five years, ending in 2015–2016. Music Director JoAnn Falletta is currently signed through the same year, which will be her 17th with the BPO. The … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2011
On April 9, 2011 the musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra returned to the stage of Orchestra Hall for the first of two triumphant concerts. Just one day earlier, a vote to ratify the DSO’s new four-year contract had brought an official end to one of the longest strikes in North American orchestra history. Readers of Senza Sordino and visitors to the website detroitsymphonymusicians.org are … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
Recently WQXR in New York held a panel discussion called American Orchestras: Endangered Species? And, unfortunately, I’m afraid the title of the session betrayed its bias. The session began with the moderator pronouncing that “orchestras from Honolulu to New Mexico to Syracuse have shut down entirely.” It is this sort of misleading language from within our own field that leads to negative … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2011
D espite two stark facts—$140,000,000 in its endowment and no significant debts—the Philadelphia Orchestra Association (POA) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 16, 2011. POA board chair Richard Worley claims that various “contractual entanglements threaten our existence.” What the POA seeks was listed in a declaration in support of first-day motions by Worley: “The debtors seek … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2011
In April the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra moved with shocking swiftness from mounting a save-our-symphony-style fundraising campaign to the suspension of operations—and ultimately to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy—all in the midst of the orchestra’s ostensibly celebratory 50th anniversary season. The bankruptcy filing was the culmination of months of panic-motivated decisions on the part of the SSO’s board … [Read more...]
