Category: music

“Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra musicians are seeking work elsewhere as the lockout by the Indianapolis Symphony Society turns one month old. They’ve also been approached to perform in the orchestras of Chicago, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. (the National Symphony), according to … [the] chairman of the musicians’ negotiating committee.”

“The long-term artistic ramifications of salary cuts on the Fabulous Philadelphians, now the lowest paid among the top seven U.S. orchestras, remain unknown. The institution must raise $25 million by Aug. 31, 2013, to secure the next two seasons. … [And there remains] a projected shortfall of nearly $10 million on a total operating budget of $44 million for fiscal 2013.”

“The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra has chosen English conductor Jonathan Nott to be its next music director, beginning in the 2014-15 season. Nott has been chief conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra since 2000, and works as a guest conductor with American and European orchestras.”

A display box containing the operetta composer’s conducting baton and other items, valued together at $80,000, was stolen in late August from a home in a Philadelphia suburb. Taken at the same time was a $3 million bust of Benjamin Franklin, which was recovered in late September.

“Ellen Shipley, the co-writer (with a 50% share) of Belinda Carlisle’s Heaven Is a Place On Earth reported receiving $38.49 for the 2,118,200 streams the track had accumulated on YouTube in the last quarter.”

“Musicians from the Orchestra of Scottish Opera have formed a co-operative to market themselves as a commercial operation.”

The first non-Italian to run La Scala, Lissner took over the Milan company in 2005 following what was, even by La Scala’s standards, an extremely tumultuous period. He will return to his hometown and the Opéra National de Paris in 2015, replacing Nicolas Joël, who says he’s stepping down two seasons hence to protest budget cuts.

“On Sept. 28, German violinist Yuki Manuela Janke, concertmaster at the Staatskapelle Dresden, was carrying a 1736 Stradivarius when she flew in to Frankfurt Airport, and customs officers seized it,” demanding €1.18 million in duty. The instrument was ultimately released, reportedly on the direct order of Germany’s finance minister.

“Bankruptcy in Philadelphia. Strikes in Chicago and Detroit. Unresolved contract talks in St. Paul. Canceled concerts in Atlanta and Indianapolis. American concert halls have echoed with more dissonance than harmony.”

“Deborah Borda, president of the orchestra, said in a statement that the L.A. Phil Live series ‘was not able to garner the sponsorship required to move forward,’ despite corporate support from Rolex, the luxury watchmaker that was the official sponsor of the cinema series.”