In Wednesday’s (1/13) Press Telegram (Long Beach, California), Al Rudis writes, “The Long Beach Symphony Orchestra’s concert this Saturday might be its last for this season unless its musicians agree to changes in their contract that will cut their income, according to Symphony management. In a press release Tuesday, the Symphony Association’s president, Roger Goulette, said, ‘The classics concert on Saturday will proceed on schedule. Beyond that, cash could only come from 2010-11 advance season ticket sales or massive new funding. The fact is that the Long Beach Symphony Association will run out of cash and exhaust our secured line of credit by the end of January. We need the American Federation of Musicians to come to the table and be part of the solution if we are to have a next season.’ Last Friday, the Board of Directors voted to not sell tickets for next season unless there is an agreement on cuts with the union by Jan. 22. … Paul Castillo, secretary-treasurer for the Long Beach Area Musicians Association, Local 353, AFM, and a clarinetist in the orchestra for 30 years, said there is another meeting with management before Jan. 22 that could bring about agreement on the requested changes in the current one-year contract and the contract for next season, but the union was insisting on a commitment that the cuts would eventually be restored.”
Photo: Music Director Enrique Arturo Diemecke leads the Long Beach Symphony with Marilyn Horne
Posted January 13, 2010
