Tag: Orchestras

Detroit Symphony Musicians Force Violinist Chang to Cancel Recital

The sad orchestral situation in Detroit just got worse this past weekend, when Sarah Chang announced that, because of an outcry from striking Detroit Symphony musicians, she would not perform her recital  scheduled for tonight. According to Mark Stryker in the Detroit Free Press, she also received offensive and threatening e-mails from the musicians’ supporters.

The musicians are publicly claiming that the cancelation shows that Chang is demonstrating her solidarity with them, but it sure looks like intimidation. And a missed chance to creatively make their case to the public (who, after all, are the donors and concertgoers that help pay their salaries).

Chang scheduled the recital when her appearances with the orchestra were canceled as a result of the strike. She wanted the money made off the concert to go to the musicians’ pensions fund, showing that she was at least a little sympathetic. Trying to enlist her as an ally–to pressure orchestra management, to make public comments; anything–would have been the way to go. Especially when, as Terry Teachout pointed out a while back, the DSO players need to convince people that it’s even worth having them around.

Detroit Symphony Set to Strike

Detroit Symphony players rejected management’s final offers over the weekend, but because of labor regulations requiring the filing of paperwork, can’t strike until September 24. But it looks like they will.

The musicians are arguing that the dramatic pay cuts–over 20% in base pay–will render the orchestra second class. “That top sliver of talent, the ones who can truly thrill the audience, will not come here,” says cellist Haden McKay.

It’s a pretty crazy pay cut, and I wouldn’t want to take it, but the argument that great musicians won’t come doesn’t really hold water. There’s more than a “sliver” of great musicians out there right now. The problem for musicians is there a glut–too much supply, and not enough demand.

"I Don’t Want to Talk About It"

Doug Adams won’t be taking anyone out to fancy dinners to ask for $1 million anymore. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra CEO quit yesterday.

He cited personal reasons–he can’t sell his house in Denver–but didn’t seem to interested in sharing with Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News. Asked about how the board reacted, Adams responded, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

His resignation comes on the heels of a D Magazine profile on Adams and the problems he’s facing raising money in a competitive philanthropic Dallas market. Maybe he just got tired of the rat race down there.

Dallas Symphony: Hustling for Dollars

When I ask around, looking to bum $1 million, I get a very different response than Dallas Symphony CEO Douglas Adams gets. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever asked anyone for $1 million.

In this D Magazine article, you’ll get a discussion of giving fatigue in a city where business leaders feel they need to maintain (or develop) Dallas as a world-class city with arts institutions; and an interesting quotation from music director Jaap van Zweden on his role as a fundraiser.

Want Money? Build Trust

In his article on the Philadelphia Orchestra’s plans to re-invent itself in the face of a “structural deficit,” Peter Dobrin quotes Executive Director Allison Vulgamore: “We’re going to have to earn more money, going to need to attract donors back … who have been waiting and wondering, and, frankly, we’re going to have to measure the cost structure a little bit.”

So, I’m not quite sure what a “cost structure” is, but I do know that if the Philadelphia Orchestra is going to want people to give money, they’ll need to be honest about not just how much they’re spending, but what they’re spending it on.

That’s what’s so galling–and counterproductive–about the orchestra’s unwillingness to discuss the value of Yannick Nezet-Seguin’s contract. It could have been a great opportunity to educate the public on the value of a music directors to the overall quality of the institution that donors are giving money to. Instead, they politely “decline” to discuss it, even as their board chair mentions bankruptcy.

If you want people to give you money–more importantly, if you want them to really believe in you–you’ve got to be straight with them.

But How Much Will He Make?

As Marcia Adair points out in her Los Angeles Times article today, the appointment of Yannick Nezet-Seguin as the next Philadelphia Orchestra music director may have been a bit of a surprise to some, not necessarily because of his youth–a lot of American orchestras are choosing young leaders–but more because he’s only appeared a couple of times with the group.

Adair looks back on Nezet-Seguin’s career to point out that he has never been one to move gradually in his career, and the orchestra clearly sees his lack of experience with them as no kind of roadblock to success. Both sides are gushing over each other.

Peter Dobrin of the Philadelphia Inquirer, quoted in the article, sees Nezet-Seguin’s hiring, and the hiring of young conductors in general, as the result of a dearth of experienced, world-class, 50-somethings on the podium.

Young conductors are no doubt cheaper, and the Philadelphia Orchestra can’t afford to throw a lot of money around right now. We won’t get to find out for a while how much they’re paying Nezet-Seguin: the orchestra won’t say. Is this even legal?

For those of you who understand French, here’s a video of Jennifer Love-Hewitt talking about Nezet-Seguin. I haven’t watched it yet, but maybe you’ll like it.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in the Red Again

The Pittsburgh Symphony is budgeting a deficit of almost $900,000 for the coming fiscal year. And it looks as if that budget gap could be greater if they don’t get all of the $1.25 million that they’re requesting from a county agency that redistributes the proceeds of a 1% sales tax to arts and culture organizations.

This will be the third year in a row that they orchestra posted a deficit.

The orchestra just finished up performances at a festival in Quebec.