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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-04-23 14:06
Well, as some of you might know- the Florida Philharmonic is said to be experiencing difficulty right now, and they need $20 Mil. to survive. If they do not raise that amount, they will have to file for Chapter 11.
I really hope that this does not happen, and that they can raise the money over the next week, which is the time they say they need it in. If anyone has heard more on this matter- what is the current status and the full story?
Bradley
A South Florida Resident
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2003-04-23 14:17
$20 million??? Last I'd heard (about a year ago) their total debt was about $3 million. Has it ballooned that badly in the last year?
Just sounds kinda high and outside.f
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
Post Edited (2003-04-23 15:18)
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-04-23 14:21
Well they said they need the money over the news to pay the members and to secure their future, or else they would have to file for bankruptcy.
Bradley
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2003-04-23 14:26
Man, that's a lotta do-re-mi, especially for an arts organization.
Then again, I live in a city with a part-time pro orchestra with a budget of under a million.
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-04-23 14:39
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/5693453.htm has more in-depth info. Considering that management has been raiding the endowment funds for years to meet the operating budget - 20 mil isn't all that bad.
Ralph - a million doesn't come close to handling musicians' salaries for a part-time pro orchestra unless the musicians are giving away their services! You're incredibly lucky ... but it's no way to run an orchestra. Paying 90 musicians, conductor, support staff, the advertising, hall upkeep, etc. on ticket sales and charity is a huge undertaking! During the current financial situation endowment funds have shruken to the point where fixed costs aren't being met by many orchestras.
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2003-04-23 15:02
I might be lowballing the local budget some, but it's paltry. They play a six-concert subscription season over 6 months, plus a couple of benefit gigs. Play a gig (including a couple of rehearsals) and you get about $300-$400 and maybe a shiny new penny to stick in your loafers. The conductor (and we just ran one out of town) gets somewhere between $25,000 and $45,000. Despite this, the performances are excellent, though I hear about a lot of grumbling behind the scenes thanks to the ultra-silly egotistical fatcats on the board who run the joint.
My community chamber orchestra (all of whom pay out of their own pocket to play in it) has a few players from the symphony sit in with us as ringers in sections that need help. Before our concert two weeks ago, I heard one of the ringers telling our conductor that playing with us was a heck of a lot more fun than "getting paid $300 to be disrespected."
A couple of articles:
http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_1843545,00.html
http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_1402451,00.html
And the epitome of silliness: http://www.caller.com/ccct/entertainment/article/0,1641,CCCT_874_1412038,00.html
And while searching I see in today's paper they hired a new conductor to replace the one we ran off. Hope this one gets treated right: http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_1909104,00.html
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-04-23 18:51
I have a hard time believing that this amount to be true. Is this the orchestra James Judd conducts? He is a good Mahler man from what i have heard....
^^^^?????
A Mahler fanatic forever,
David Dow
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-04-23 20:30
David Dow,
You've got it right about Judd and Mahler --- I have a bargain-priced CD of Mahler's 1st by the FL Philh. and it is outstanding!
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-04-23 23:45
This is the same, uber-wealthy neighborhood that has bazillion dollar yachts moored 345 days next to the veranda and can't support the local classical station (WTMI)...
Having lived in SoFlo the better part of 5 years, I'm disappointed, if not terribly surprised.
Now, if the Florida Phil had an intermission buffet and started before 5:30...
Want cultcha... try upState New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, North Dakota... where people will actually pay for entertainment and pay more than lip service to advertisers!
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-04-24 02:00
Indeed, Synonymous - it sounds to me as though Florida's marketing manager needs to be sacked. My hometown orchestra gets minimal government funding (via our national Boradcaster the ABC), yet they have a brilliant marketing team and are actually making a profit (Sydney Symphony).
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-04-24 11:39
diz - sadly, I don't think it's a marketing problem.
I think there is no demand for The Arts in South Florida, at least not in the traditional concert hall sense.
Luciano Pavarotti sold out a huge portion of N. Miami Beach for a heavily amplified recital. He was pretty well past his prime by then and the crowd went wild with adulation.
Likewise, Yanni sold out several nights in Sunrise.
It is difficult to sell season subscriptions to a populace that either scrapes to make a living (most of Sout Florida) or is only in residence from late November to Early April.
It used to be Canadian snowbirds supporting the bulk of these events, but their dollar (the Loonie) has been on the downside for more than ten years.
Meanwhile, Tanglewood and SPAC do well, and with Big Name acts!
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2003-04-24 23:51
The conductor of an orchestra in Fla. once told me that if the people there want to give money to the arts, they give to organizations back home in the North and East but will rarely give to Fla. groups.
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Author: jbutler ★2017
Date: 2003-04-25 01:26
Seems like orchestras all over are having difficulties. The musicians are on strike in Houston and have been since February, I believe. The season was cancelled. The HSS wants the musicians to make concessions on salary and benefits. I don't even know if there will a season next year or not.
jbutler
Post Edited (2003-04-25 02:27)
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Author: angelpineapple
Date: 2003-04-25 01:41
jbutler- If you mean the musicians in Houston, Texas, they went off strike a few weeks ago and are finishing out the season. They have also planned all their concert's for next season.
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Author: jbutler ★2017
Date: 2003-04-25 02:43
Thanks, great!! I must have missed that news. I've been busy lately and don't MAKE time to read the Chronicle although I get it every morning!
jbutler
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-04-25 17:19
It seems this new economy stuff doesn't work well for any orchestra anywhere, sadly it looks like economics are slowing down. Music always ends up the loser when economies change....
David Dow
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Author: Jennifer
Date: 2003-04-25 23:40
I disagree slightly with DDow. The popular musicians are doing just fine. However, symphony orchestras are different. In the US, none (except maybe for the Metripolitan Opera) make enough money from ticket sales to make payroll. Most depend on large endowments and corporate contributions to meet their operating expenses. Because they depend on corporate largess, a downturn in the economy, or even a change in the tax code, can be a big problem. By the way, the Houston Symphony situation was solved when Mayor Brown authorized the city to kick in a quarter million dollars from a city arts fund. It's a stopgap measure, and the HSO will probably be threatening to strike again in a couple of years. Their long term problems have not been addressed.
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