Issue: December 2025
The musicians of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) are thrilled to rejoin ICSOM after over 30 years with the Regional Orchestra Players Association (ROPA). Our return to ICSOM is a milestone in an era of growth for the orchestra. Led by Music Director Alain Trudel, the TSO presents regular Masterworks (mainstage classical), Pops, Family, and Chamber concert series, as well as various … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
The world today feels more confusing and chaotic than ever. We worry about the future of our jobs when management talks about changes in philanthropy, shifting ticket-buying habits, and, once again, the need for a “new model.” More broadly, we wonder what place symphony orchestras will occupy in a rapidly changing world. In a landscape increasingly dominated by digital platforms and AI-driven … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2025
When people think about an orchestra, they tend to think in terms of artistry: the musicians onstage, the conductor on the podium, the sound in the hall. 10/10. No notes. But what’s often missed is that artistry doesn’t begin at the downbeat. It is shaped by an often overlooked infrastructure long before anyone walks onstage—through preparation, coordination, sourced and shared materials, … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2025
Editor’s note: Sometime last year my friend Campbell MacDonald and I were discussing our experience serving in our union—what we have learned over the years, what has worked for us (and what hasn’t), where we go for inspiration, etc. Eventually, Campbell pointed me towards an article by Brian O. Shepherd, originally published on Substack in Labor Politics and later reprinted in Labor Notes. … [Read more...]
