Barbara Nielsen | Polyphonic.org - The Orchestra Musician Forum

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.

Author - Barbara Nielsen