Archive - 2009

1
The Musicians Business Challenge—Changing Demand
2
The Naxos nexus
3
This wouldn't work for Bruckner either
4
The boss is the best organizer
5
The Musician’s Business Challenge
6
Executive experience?
7
Saving money by pissing off the patrons
8
Now that's what I call a union
9
Pianist goes to jail too
10
GUEST BLOGGER Yvonne Caruthers–Slatkin's response

The Musicians Business Challenge—Changing Demand

Ask any musician ten years older than you how business is, and he will probably say, “It’s OK, but it was much better ten years ago.” If that same person asks the identical question to another musician ten years older than he is, he will probably get the same answer.  “It’s OK, but it was[…]

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The Naxos nexus

This joint venture seems like a very good idea for both parties: …Naxos of America will begin physical and digital distribution of the renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s premiere record label CSO Resound.

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This wouldn't work for Bruckner either

…but it’s pretty amazing nonetheless. In case you were thinking it was faked, this video will show you how it was done.

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The boss is the best organizer

It’s good to be reminded now and then of what an orchestra looks like in the wild, and why virtually every professional orchestra in the known universe is unionized: Musicians, however, look to a conductor for musical guidance, and they say [Illinois Symphony Music Director Karen Lynne] Deal simply doesn’t do enough homework to provide[…]

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The Musician’s Business Challenge

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll put on a businessman’s hat and look at a young musician’s career from that perspective.  What are the challenges facing this person as he or she steps into the profession?  One might say a musician’s challenge is to utilize and evolve the skills obtained in school in order[…]

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Executive experience?

A candidate for the position of King County (Seattle) Executive is touting her executive experience rather than her decades as a local TV news anchor, and basing the claim on having been board chair of the Seattle Symphony: In her campaign for King County executive, Hutchison has highlighted her 2 Ω years as chairwoman of[…]

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Saving money by pissing off the patrons

Concerts get cancelled all the time, but usually not high-profile concerts conducted by the music director two weeks in advance of the concert: The Honolulu Symphony board has done something unprecedented that will shock some patrons while possibly giving encouragement to people who have written big checks for the orchestra. It has canceled a concert[…]

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Now that's what I call a union

Show business can indeed pay well: After you practice for years and get to Carnegie Hall, it’s almost better to move music stands than actually play the piano. Depending on wattage, a star pianist can receive $20,000 a night at the 118-year-old hall, meaning he or she would have to perform at least 27 times[…]

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Pianist goes to jail too

Performing in prisons has almost graduated to the status of trend: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra guest pianist Simone Dinnerstein plays an usual venue this morning at 11: The Maryland Correctional Institution for Women. The world-renowned pianist, who has played Carneige Hall and the Kennedy Center, also will answer questions from inmates/audience members after she performs works[…]

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GUEST BLOGGER Yvonne Caruthers–Slatkin's response

Leonard Slatkin responded via email (see yesterday’s blogpost) to my request for information about the article on his website. I have excerpted his comments: “The article was written the day after the Met[‘s recent production of] Tosca was trashed.   How come opera directors can get away with mangling the instructions from a composer, but the[…]

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