The Columbus Symphony Orchestra (OH) is in dire straits. It is possible the orchestra could fold in the very near future. The problems are financial and organizational, and management and labor are not seeing eye-to-eye at all. According to principal clarinetist, and Sequenza21 friend, David Thomas, the press coverage has been terribly one-sided, and the musicians’ point of view is not getting out. Here’s a website where you can show your support, and here’s another where news is always coming in. David has kindly forwarded me his version of events, and I am posting it in the comments section.
Growing up in central Ohio, I have some important musical memories because of the CSO: hearing Respighi for the first time, taking lessons from their second-chair clarinetist, and, more recently, having had a terrific performance led by Peter Stafford Wilson, their assistant conductor. Central Ohio without the CSO is hard for me to imagine, but all too easy, one supposes, for most people who live there.
The first part of my post got cut off through some Java problem.
120 miles north, Cleveland has witnessed the ending of yet another chamber orchestra with Red {an orchestra}. Red arose out of the collapse of the Ohio Chamber Orchestra in the late 90’s. Most of those musicians were also part of the Cleveland Ballet Orchestra which left Cleveland in the late 90’s and the Cleveland Opera Orchestra. Cleveland Opera merged with the smaller Lyric Opera Cleveland a year ago (eliminating all of LOC’s season and it’s orchestra along the way) and is now presenting a season that’s actually been shorter than it was before the merger. Musicians who were able to cobble together a decent living are now left with fewer and fewer options and opportunities in the region. David says “Many will leave. Lives and careers will be ruined.” That’s been the story for the freelance musician and steelworkers and autoworkers here in Cleveland for a while. I don’t know where the iceberg is, but those of us here in steerage are trying to swim.
“Impartial Observer” says “if the public does not support the orchestra it must make changes or collapse.” While I’m not necessarily convinced of his ‘impartiality,’ the issue of supply and demand is important. The Ohio Arts Council has apparently restricted the money it gives to modern dance companies because of the glut of small dance companies with no audience draw that have proliferated in recent years.
There are a number of issues at play here, geography, education, economics, technology, politics, etc. A lot of reassessment is required and I’m not confident that, at present, the musical and administrative elements of large arts organziations are going to be able to do what’s necessary for the future.
If Mr. Thomas thinks it so easy to run a multi-million dollar operation in the black perhaps he and the others should start their own musician-owned orchestra like the Louisiana Philharmonic. I sympathize with his and the other musicians’ plights, but regardless how much larger or wealthier Columbus may be than Cleveland or Cincinatti, if the public does not support the orchestra it must make changes or collapse. Until he and Mr. Akins and their cohorts begin putting forth ideas of their own which hold water, rather than simply drawing lines in the sand and expecting management to work around them, there will be no progress, and likely there will be no CSO.
Thanks for giving us a voice, David. Our committee has a meeting with board and management tomorrow. Let’s hope things head in a more positive direction.
From David Thomas:
The Columbus Symphony, which has achieved world class level over the past 56 years, will be destroyed by the insidious restructuring “plan” (fire 22 and cut weeks 30%) forcefully proposed by the board of trustees and management Jan. 17, and reiterated in Friday’s Dispatch (March 14, Columbus Symphony: Could it really Die?).
As principal clarinetist of the Columbus Symphony, I cannot let the public be bamboozled by recent publicity regarding our board’s proposed “restructuring”. Nothing will be gained. Quite the opposite. If implemented, the orchestra’s quality will be crippled. Many will leave. Lives and careers will be ruined.
Columbus is significantly larger than Cleveland or Cincinnati. Its per capita income is 30-40% higher than those cities. Yet our salaries are currently 40-50% lower than those cities’ orchestras. The number of full time players in the Columbus Symphony is half theirs. (factfinder.census.gov) How embarrassing that “arts leaders” of Ohio’s Capital are unable to justify an orchestra appropriate to the city’s size and wealth.
Deceptive sound bites have been prevalent in several recent articles. In the announcement of next season’s programs, Ex. Dir. Tony Beadle is quoted saying, “The orchestra may go on strike…” Truth is, there has been no mention of a strike by our representatives. Why would Mr. Beadle open with such an inflammatory and presumptuous phrase in the public press? What are his intentions in doing so?
Last week’s live recording project by Denon was deemed a “vanity” event by Ex. Dir. Tony Beadle (which was not at all organized by management, but by principal tuba Jim Akins with support from Gene D’Angelo). How absurd! Recordings inspire support. Does Mr. Beadle support us?
Last season, the orchestra reluctantly gave up three weeks of precious Classical Series to allow Mr. Beadle to “repackage” those weeks into something more marketable. They were feebly renamed and even more feebly marketed, and now have been canceled. Now, three weeks of classical music are lost. Their only function now, as empty paid weeks, is fodder to argue for cutting our contractual weeks permanently.
Today’s article (March 14, Columbus Symphony: Could it really die?) continues the ruse. “The board isn’t seeking such a bailout… because corporate officials have insisted that they’re finished sending in white knights”, (Board Chair) Trafford said. Has Mr. Trafford’s myopic vision blinded him from seeing that other, effective boards, such as that of the Columbus Museum, raised an $80 million endowment from the same city?
This city deserves a true vision for its orchestra’s growth, one which includes a new (and well deserved) concert hall and revitalization of downtown, not the dismembering of its largest arts institution.
Would you hire Mr. Beadle or his bosses, our board of trustees, to solve this problem? To support us go to http://www.symphonystrong and sign up. You will get updates and real news about or fate, not the propaganda fielded in our local newspaper, the Dispatch.