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Mon 12 Dec 2005
From the ROPA mailing list:
The Toledo Blade is running this story about orchestras in small cities. The article quotes Cathy Maciariello from the Mellon Foundation and discusses the Toledo Symphony and several other small orchestras.
Tue 6 Dec 2005
Dear Friends of the Audubon Quartet and Chamber Music Lovers Everywhere:
Concerned members of the Blacksburg, Virginia community have authored a declaration/petition, which calls for an end to David Ehrlich’s treatment of his former colleagues of the Audubon Quartet, Doris Lederer, and Clyde (Tom) Shaw and Akemi Takayama. When these three quartet members fired Mr. Ehrlich in February 2000 in order to preserve the musical integrity, organizational health, and viability of the Audubon Quartet, he chose to respond with lawsuits.
After a long series of misadventures with courts in Pennsylvania and Virginia, plus the federal Bankruptcy Court, the three members of the Quartet are now faced with imminent court-ordered liquidation of their personal property, including musical instruments and one home. Mr. Ehrlich will collect his former colleagues’ worldly goods on the grounds, among others, of having lost his job at Virginia Tech.
To express support for the members of the Audubon Quartet, we ask you to sign a community declaration and/or a petition to Dr. Charles Steger, President of Virginia Tech (the Quartet’s former employer and Mr. Ehrlich’s current employer), asking for his assistance in resolving the dispute without punitive confiscations.
For more information on how to express your disapproval of David Ehrlich’s actions, please visit the following website:
Also, please feel free to pass this information along to your friends on your mailing list.
If you have already signed the on-line declaration/petition, we thank you for your support!
Wed 30 Nov 2005
The New York Times has this article about Zankel Hall. They discuss how the reconfigurable features of the hall not only increased it’s initial cost, but also actually limit the use of those features. It costs $10,000 to modify the hall’s confiugration for a performance and then return it to it’s normal configuration.
Tue 22 Nov 2005
The city of Richmond, Virginia is number 5 on the latest list of most dangerous cities:
Richmond beat out Baltimore, Maryland; Atlanta, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Gary, Indiana.
Is Richmond really this dangerous? Is it ALL of Richmond, or just the “bad” parts of town?
Here’s the press release from Morgan Quitno; and an article on CNN.com.
Thu 17 Nov 2005
Four more of the VAPAF’s leadership have resigned: “Booty” Armstrong, John Sherman Jr., Judy Ford, and Michelle Walter. Armstrong also withdrew his family’s pledge of up to $1M to the foundation.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch has an article.
Fri 11 Nov 2005
Below is the full text of the press release from the Mayor’s office:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, November 11, 2005
CONTACT: Linwood Norman
646-0434
MAYOR APPOINTS COMMITTEE ON THE PERFORMING ARTS
Mayor L. Douglas Wilder will appoint a committee to be tasked with addressing the City’s long-term performing arts needs at the Carpenter Center and the Thalhimer’s block on Broad Street.
The committee will have nine members, including Jean Boone, Tom Farrell, David Fisk, William H. Goodwin, and James Ukrop. The Mayor will be announcing the other members shortly.
“I have wanted to be able to support a realistic endeavor to accomplish the stated ends and am pleased we have been able to come this far,” said Mayor Wilder.
Foundation Chairman James Ukrop concurred, stating that “We are confident that this committee will find exciting and realistic ways to make our vision a reality. A city as rich in culture and history as Richmond deserves an unparalleled venue to showcase its unique collection of performing arts groups. We owe it to our region’s many talented artists and the generous patrons who support them to work together constructively in creating a performing arts center we can all be proud of.”
Under Phase One, members of the committee will focus on the future of the Carpenter Center. Included in its analysis, the committee will review the outstanding request from the Virginia Arts Foundation for reimbursement of $4.4 million in expenses (along with its supporting documentation) and will determine the feasibility of any payment thereon. Nothing herein or hereafter to be considered by the committee is intended to preclude the Foundation from complying with the building code of the City as may be applicable. Under Phase Two, committee members will consider how best to make use of the balance of the block bounded on Broad at 6th and 7th Streets for the performing arts. The committee will make an interim report by no later than May 1, 2006 with a final report by no later than Dec. 31, 2006.
Any agreement arrived at through the recommendations of this committee will take precedence over any and all other understandings between the City and The Foundation.
In the interim, the foundation has agreed to landscape the block, consistent with construction needs, which will be held for public use.
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Tue 8 Nov 2005
“It was a routine inspection” according to city spokesman Bill Farrar in this Times-Dispatch article. After Mayor Wilder’s representative Paul Goldman met on friday with Arts organizations explaining his proposal to re-open the CCPA by Fall of 2006, the routine inspection of the Carpenter Center shows that the mayor is already acting on his plan.
Thu 3 Nov 2005
CBS News is carrying an AP story which reports that the musicians of the Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas spectacular have begun their strike. The stagehands for the show, members of Local 1 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, honored the strike and did not cross picket lines. The famous Rocketts also honored the strike wednesday.
Sat 29 Oct 2005
The San Jose Mercury News has an article about the Symphony Silicon Valley performing with only guest conductors since they formed four seasons ago.
It’s interesting that not paying a Music Director salary doen’t seem to save much money since they still have to pay guest conductors. However, the musicians obviously have much more control of their fate.
Mon 24 Oct 2005
Despite their extraordinary circumstances following Hurricane Katrina, the musicians of the Louisiana Philharmonic have rejected an offer from Radio City Music Hall to replace their regular orchestra.
Both Playbill Arts and the New York Times have articles.