Issue: August 2026
It’s been an especially full year for ICSOM. The Governing Board has supported musicians through difficult workplace and bargaining situations, continued our partnership with RAINN through a presentation on bystander intervention, visited orchestras in Rochester and Kansas City, and spent countless hours preparing for this year's conference. Alongside the AFM and ROPA, we also began negotiations … [Read more...]
Issue: August 2026
Do you ever wonder what ICSOM does with your annual dues? It is the primary goal of this Governing Board to represent and serve the membership, which includes information gathering and sharing. This June, I was given the opportunity to represent ICSOM at two conferences: the Labor Notes Conference held in Chicago and the 103rd AFM Convention in Ottawa. While distinctly different from each other, … [Read more...]
Issue: August 2026
If the way everyone (except librarians) talks about the library is to be believed, and if established contract language is treated as the definitive record of what the job is (or is not, given how many CBA’s lack codified library language), you’d assume the library is a quaint, low-stakes corner of the orchestra. Picture this: A small room filled with ceiling high bookcases. A single … [Read more...]
Issue: August 2026
As the orchestra world continues to wrestle with issues of sexual misconduct, the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in settlements has received renewed attention. The recent case of Esther Hwang, a substitute violinist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO), illustrates the problem—and suggests a path forward. Ms. Hwang’s story appeared in a December 2025 article in The Globe and … [Read more...]
Issue: August 2026
In 35 years as an orchestral clarinetist, I’ve held contracts with three ICSOM orchestras. Two of those orchestras tragically went bankrupt (the New Orleans Symphony in 1991 and the Syracuse Symphony in 2011). But through the courage, hard work and dedication of my colleagues, both of these orchestras successfully reorganized as musician-run “cooperative” ensembles: The Louisiana Philharmonic and … [Read more...]
