In an Associated Press report posted Wednesday (10/3) on the National Public Radio website and a number of other media outlets, Patrick Condon writes, “The Minnesota Orchestra was called the world’s greatest not long ago, welcome recognition for musicians based outside a top cultural center. Now its members are locked out of Orchestra Hall, stuck in the same kind of labor-management battle recently afflicting teachers and football referees. Across the country, symphony and chamber orchestra executives have cited flat ticket sales and slumping private support as they seek major pay concessions from musicians, who warn of a loss of talent and reputation. … Jesse Rosen, president and chief executive officer of the League of American Orchestras, which doesn’t take sides in labor-management disputes, said orchestras are struggling with the economy like many other businesses that depend on discretionary spending. ‘These are big cultural trends that are affecting the movie business, and professional sports, and the way our culture operates now,’ he said. ‘So it’s not surprising that we’re likely to see a period of visible experimentation in American orchestras and the way they operate.’ ”
Posted October 3, 2012
