The Business of Orchestras

Musician Involvement in the Governance of Symphony Orchestras: Will it Increase Organizational Effectiveness? Part III

Feb 25 2008

In the conclusion of her analysis of musician involvement in orchestra governance, Barbara examines examples of worker involvement in governance from the for-profit world: Cleveland-based Lincoln Electric, UK chocolate manufacturer Cadbury, and the DaimlerChrysler/United Auto Workers (UAW) partnership.

Finally, Barbara presents some findings from Jim Collins seminal monograph “Good to Great and the Social Sector,” detailing how the Cleveland Orchestra set and met its goals of excellence.

Feb 23 2008

In Part II of her article, Barbara Nielsen explores the nature of musician involvement in the governance of orchestras. The traditional and more common approach has been for one or two musicians to serve on the board of directors, representing their colleagues. However, a few orchestras in Denver, New Orleans, Tulsa, St. Paul, and New York City have adopted a self-governing, cooperative model of governance. Barbara explains the history behind these cooperative orchestras, and discusses whether musician involvement will make a difference.

Feb 22 2008

Barbara Nielsen has an unusual perspective on the symphonic world, having worked as a professional violinist, held several senior positions with the AFM, and currently works on the “management” side of labor relations at the Metropolitan Opera. She recently completed her Masters in Labor Relations at Cornell, and has graciously permitted Polyphonic to publish an adaptation of her Masters’ thesis – a comprehensive overview of musicians’ involvement in orchestral governance.

Barbara made extensive use of the archives of the Symphony Orchestra Institute’s journal Harmony, located on this website, in researching her thesis.

Jan 29 2008

Christopher Stager, a symphonic marketing consultant and a regular contributor to Polyphonic, had been consulting with my orchestra, the Hartford Symphony, for several years, helping our Music Director, Edward Cumming, put together each season’s program and develop a marketing plan for that program.

The relationship between the two men is a solid professional friendship, full of mutual respect, and the passion each has for music is readily apparent. One evening, in Hartford’s Catholic Cathedral where we were rehearsing a Bruckner Symphony, I noticed Chris pacing around the church, looking very excited. When I caught up with him at the break, he couldn’t stop talking about the incredible acoustics in that space, and how perfect it was for Bruckner in so many ways. Edward joined us and they were off, with Chris describing a similar Bruckner concert series in Toledo, and Edward remembering yet another Bruckner performance, and both of them talking so fast I could barely keep up.

I knew then that I had to get the two of them to sit down and record their thoughts on programming an orchestra’s season. And so they did; the results are really intriguing.

Oct 15 2007

And now the conclusion of Henry Fogel’s article, Are Three Legs Appropriate? Or Even Sufficient?, written for the April 2000 issue of Harmony. Don’t miss Mr. Fogel’s interview with Polyphonic.org’s Interview Series Host Greg Sandow!

Oct 10 2007

For eight years, 1995-2003, the Symphony Orchestra Institute (SOI) published Harmony. It was a journal of thoughtful insight and opinion about the complex dynamics of symphony orchestra organizations. The journal presented essays and reports authored by practitioners, scholars, and other close observers of orchestras. In 2004 when the founder of the SOI, Paul Judy, gifted the SOI to the Eastman School of Music, the Orchestra Musician Forum and its website Polyphonic was created. The Harmony archives were included.

The following article, Are Three Legs Appropriate? Or Even Sufficient? was written by Henry Fogel, then President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, for the April 2000 issue of Harmony. Mr. Fogel is now President and CEO of the American Symphony Orchestra League. Be sure to watch his interview with Polyphonic.org’s Interview Series Host Greg Sandow!

In our continued efforts to inform the orchestral community, we will feature Harmony articles, from time to time, for those of you who would like to reread them, or for others who may have never had the opportunity to do so before. Those of you who may want original copies of this publication can obtain them free of charge (while supplies last) by emailing info@polyphonic.org. Enjoy…..

Sep 17 2007

As the controversy rages in the US regarding the Patriot Act and the extent to which the government can intervene in ordinary citizen’s lives in the name of “homeland security,” it is interesting to look back at the role symphony musicians played in safeguarding (or not) civil liberties in the midst of the McCarthy era HUAC (House UnAmerican Activities Committee)hearings.

Julie Ayer, violinist with the Minnesota Orchestra, has excerpted another chapter from her book, More Than Meets the Ear: How Symphony Musicians Made Labor History that details the birth of ICSOM and the role that symphony musicians, ICSOM and the AFM played during the Communist witchhunt of the 1950s.

Once again, I highly recommend Julie’s book in its entirety. Reading it will make you proud of the impact musicians have had on the labor movement and in improving conditions in their own working lives.

Jun 05 2007

Marketing consultant Christopher Stager was recently invited to participate on a panel at the Int’l. Artist Managers’ Assoc. in London, and decided to present his perception of how American orchestras go about growing an audience to his European colleagues. What follows is Chris’ take on how audiences behave, and what orchestras need to do to capitalize on that behavior to sell tickets.

Feb 14 2007

I read a first draft of Robert Levine’s primer on Robert’s Rules of Order at a break in rehearsal — my colleagues refused to believe that an article about parliamentary procedure had caused me to laugh out loud. But indeed, Robert’s description of how to use Robert’s Rules to run an orchestra meeting is very entertaining, as well as very informative. I don’t believe you’ll ever think about meeting procedures the same way (nor be intimidated by them), once you’ve read this article!

Dec 30 2006

In the first installment from this feature, Lyric Opera of Chicago Principal Horn, Jon Boen, just completed the premier performance of a new horn concerto he commissioned from composer, Jan Bach. This second, and final, article details the momentous challenges involved with producing a professional recording of the work featuring Jon and the Chicago Philharmonic.

Furthermore, in addition to the embedded audio clips from the finished CD, this article is enhanced with clips from the recording session and even a trio performance from a fundraising event designed to help subsidize the project’s cost.

By the time you finish this article, you will have a crystal clear picture of exactly how much a project like this costs, how much personal risk is involved, and the amount of effort required to produce a professional orchestral recording. Sometimes, even inspiration can feel daunting, but the rewards speak for themselves.

Musician Involvement in the Governance of Symphony Orchestras: Will it Increase Organizational Effectiveness? Part III

Musician Involvement in the Governance of Symphony Orchestras: Will it Increase Organizational Effectiveness? Part II

Musician Involvement in the Governance of Symphony Orchestras: Will it Increase Organizational Effectiveness? Part I

The Relationship of the Music Director and the Marketing Director: Designing a Symphony Season

Are Three Legs Appropriate? Or Even Sufficient? Part II

Are Three Legs Appropriate? Or Even Sufficient? Part I

The Birth of ICSOM: A Labor Revolution

How to Grow an Audience by Understanding How Audiences Behave

Robert’s Rules of Order: A Primer

A New Horn Concerto: From Concept To Recording – Part 2