Archive - 2015

1
Pro-Am Orchestra Events: Trending Across the Country
2
Commencement Into This New World
3
Encouraging News from the Cincinnati Symphony
4
Flying with Instruments: A New Era?
5
Colorado and the AFM
6
James Stewart on the Metropolitan Opera Negotiations
7
Polyphonic.org Needs Your Help!
8
Grants Available! Apply for a 2015 Paul R. Judy Center Grant!
9
Conductor Alan Gilbert’s Thoughts on the Future of Orchestras
10
On The Future of America’s Orchestras

Pro-Am Orchestra Events: Trending Across the Country

Michael Stugrin, writing in the spring 2015 issue of Symphony magazine (page 42), presents an interesting overview of a new trend among orchestras − performing with amateurs. Most orchestras have been doing “side by side” performances with their local youth orchestra for decades (I played such a concert with the Boston Symphony at Symphony Hall way back[…]

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Commencement Into This New World

Within this Darwinian analysis of higher education, what is the state of play in the performing arts and where exactly is their place in our contemporary world?

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Encouraging News from the Cincinnati Symphony

While there is plenty of negative press about the struggle of orchestras in the 21st century, here is a New York Times article about recent successes at the Cincinnati Symphony that is quite encouraging.

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Flying with Instruments: A New Era?

Congress passed a law three years ago to address the problems musicians have encountered flying with their instruments, but the regulations, which will cause the airlines to implement the law, were only published in January, 2015.  And then the airlines had 60 days to get things in order to implement the new regulations. Thanks to the efforts[…]

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Colorado and the AFM

The invaluable Norman Lebrecht once again breaks a story: Musicians in the Colorado Symphony Orchestra have filed to decertify from their union, the American Federation of Musicians., from representing them in contract negotiations. The causes of dissension are obscure and both sides are staying tight-lipped, but a petition has been filed here and a vote[…]

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James Stewart on the Metropolitan Opera Negotiations

James Stewart, author of Den of Thieves and many other prize-winning investigative works, has turned his talent to exploring the recent contract negotiations at the Metropolitan Opera. In the March 25, 2015 issue of the New Yorker magazine, Stewart presents an amazingly detailed analysis of these negotiations and what led up to them. As one[…]

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Polyphonic.org Needs Your Help!

For the last decade, Polyphonic.org has continually sought to provide a valuable experience for our users. We want to hear from you in order to continue to make your experience a great one! Please help us by taking our quick, three-minute survey! How often do you access Polyphonic.org?   At Least Once A Week Less[…]

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Grants Available! Apply for a 2015 Paul R. Judy Center Grant!

Paul R. Judy Center for Applied Research Grant Program Apply for a 2015 Grant by September 1, 2015 This grant program is intended to provide funding for research, events, and new initiatives related to innovative ensembles. Applications for funding will be accepted on an annual basis; grants will range from $500-$2,000. The total amount awarded[…]

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Conductor Alan Gilbert’s Thoughts on the Future of Orchestras

The Guardian recently published an edited version of NY Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert’s 2015 Royal Philharmonic Society Lecture.  In the lecture, Gilbert describes his view of where we are today – how orchestras are doing some serious soul-searching to discover what role they will play in their communities going forward.  Orchestras are trying all[…]

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On The Future of America’s Orchestras

As I write this introduction to my Editor’s Choice for this month, at top of mind for me is the former Director of the Eastman School of Music, Robert Freeman. In 1972 he was named director of Eastman, a position he held for 24 years. He returned to Eastman this week to be formally honored[…]

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