 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-09-27 16:14
I've just read that the Atlanta symphony, one of only about 17 full time orchestras in the USA, has settled their strike. Unfortunatly, according to the article I read, they will no longer be a full 52 week orchestra. They are being forced to take a 5.2 million dollar cuts in their payroll. No cuts will be made to their large staff. Their season employment will be scaled back greatly as well as their numbers and weekly salary and benifits. This is what symphony boards are try to do all over the country will the second tier orchestras. So many of us have fought for years to gain full employment in Americas symphony orchesrta's and it is now beginning to turn the other way. Although we in Baltimore still have a 52 week season, I suspect that will no longer be the case after our next contract, we already took a 30% cut in salary and benifits at our last contract. I don't think the future is looking good for the middle and lower racking orchestra's. Many of the 3rd tier have already gone under or been drastically reduced.
If you have a dream to be a symphony player, reconsider, double major or at least be aware that there will be less and less jobs for you to audition for and most of them will not provide you with yearly employment if you're one of the very very few to be lucky enough to win a job. The odds are vastly great against you getting a job in the first place or making a living even if you get one.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: GeorgeL ★2017
Date: 2012-09-30 23:23
One solution is to convince some billionaires to fund the arts rather than fund politicians.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-10-03 00:14
The problem is that less and less people are interesting in attending symphony concerts and there are so many other ways these days to spend one's entertainment dollars. As far as giving, there seems to less interest in the wealthy and corperations giving to the arts as well with so many other places to donate their money. I don't see much of a future in America for a revival of orchestra's in most of our cities. We don't have the history of the culture and classical music is just not important to most Americans. That, as well as so many schools not offering music in schools anymore makes the future look dim for our industry.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-10-03 00:57
Ed, I don't know if this article from the Philadelphia Inquirer is the one you were reading, but one of their music critics wrote this article:
http://tinyurl.com/9c3xx49
Karl
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-10-03 15:41
No, I read it in an article on facebook with the details given by a member of that orchestra. It was also posted on our symphony players sight.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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