The musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, which has fallen on difficult economic times in the last few years, are set to vote this week on a new 3-year contract. The agreement calls for a hefty wage cut in the first year in order to allow the PSO to get its financial house in order, but by the third year of the contract, the musicians’ base salary would rise to 95% of the average of four of the highest-paid orchestras in the U.S., a percentage which could guarantee each musician a raise of nearly $20,000 in 2005.
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PSO Taps Tamburri
As contract negotiations with its musicians were drawing to a close, the Pittsburgh Symphony also closed a deal which will bring New Jersey Symphony CEO Lawrence Tamburri to the Steel City as the new president of the PSO. Tamburri has a reputation as an administrator who places a high priority on building consensus among musicians, staff, and board members, but his skills will be severely tested in Pittsburgh, writes Andrew Druckenbrod.
The Bottom Line Hits Bottom
The fabled Bottom Line music club in New York’s Greenwich Village has fallen on hard times, and is facing eviction from its legendary NYU location. The club is reportedly $185,000 behind on its rent, and the university which owns the building wants to turn it into classrooms. A court hearing this week could decide the matter.
Ownership And The Dance
“Contentious debates over artistic ownership generally seem to revolve around online music piracy or Mickey Mouse. But dance is facing unexpected and vexing questions about artists’ rights as well. Do choreographers own their dances? Or are they simply employees who give up ownership to organizations that commission or support their work? As dance moves out of studio and into the world of corporate support, such issues have become more urgent.”
Hi-Tech or Low-Tech, It’s All In How You Use It
It appears that you no longer need to have your own army to be considered a powerful individual on the global playing field. In fact, if the tapes that have been airing on Arab satellite channels are any indication, all you need is a portable video camera, or, failing that, a cassette recorder. We’ve all heard the old credo that “information is power,” but these days, it seems that the efficient dissemination of information, and a keen grasp of how to make use of the global media, is as important as the information itself.
Theater Chain Bans Sex And Violence (in the lobby)
Regal Cinemas, the largest chain of multiplexes in the U.S., has announced that it will henceforth ban certain video games from its lobby arcades. Games which show human dismemberment, for instance, are gone. So are games which include nudity, sex, or “violence towards law enforcement officers or figures of authority.” So if you want to see any of those inappropriate things at a Regal multiplex… well, you’ll just have to buy a ticket and walk into one of the theatres.
The Steinway Mystique
“Steinway is the great name of the piano world, as anyone will tell you – not least, Steinway. This year is its 150th anniversary, which is worth celebrating if only because few companies survive making the same product, in the same way, for so long… And although Steinway isn’t the largest piano company in the world (it makes 5000 instruments a year, as opposed to Yamaha’s 100,000), it has certainly cornered the top end of the market – despite a top-selling price of $250,000 for the sleek, black, two-metre concert grand (the Model D) that only serious pianists, concert halls and bankers get their hands on.”
When Soloists Cancel
Last week, soprano Dawn Upshaw, who is famous for never cancelling engagements, cancelled an engagement with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, due to a vocal cord injury. It may be unusual for Upshaw to bail on an orchestra, but other soloists do it all the time, for any number of reasons. Some soloists are even as famous for their cancellations as they are for their performances. As for the jilted ensembles which are left to scramble for a replacement, many arts administrators pride themselves on their ability to come through in just such a situation.
Dismissed Bolshoi Dancer Threatens To Sue
Anastasia Volochkova, the ballerina fired this week by the Bolshoi Ballet after the company claimed she was overweight, says she may sue the company. “It’s a myth that partners refuse to dance with me. In fact, the managers are trying to discourage them from dancing with me.”
Walker To Close For A Year
Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center is closing in February for a year. “Plans call for the Walker to reopen in spring 2005, when a $90 million addition on its south side will be finished. The addition includes new galleries, a small theater, new dining facilities and other public spaces.”