Cornelia Pokrzywa -
For those of us who eagerly awaited the end of the strike and the return of the musicians to Orchestra Hall, the 2011-12 season brought many highlights tempered by bittersweet moments and some notes of longing.
The shortened Spring-Summer offerings in 2011 brought us one of the saddest days in recent memory – the final concert of much-beloved concertmaster Emmanuelle Boisvert. Since her departure was a direct result of the strike, there was no opportunity for a fond and formal farewell. Her last concert was simply her last concert. Other retirements and departures followed. As a result, the 2011-2012 season featured perhaps the largest number of substitute musicians that audiences had ever seen.
For those of us who hold a special fondness for our musicians, it was often difficult to come to concerts knowing that we may not see or hear a favorite. Some, of course, had moved on for good. Others, due to the strike, took on obligations that limited their performances in the 2011-12 season.
Audience favorite Kim Kennedy led the 2011-12 season as acting concertmaster, performing solos and a concerto to the delight of those who have admired her playing for years. The recent announcement of a new concertmaster has many audience members excited for what will come.
One benefit of the limited offerings this season: many of the musicians took to concertizing in the community and beyond. Local chamber music programs gave the audience the opportunity to listen to our esteemed musicians in more intimate settings. A brunch series at the Birmingham Community House, the ProMozart Society, Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, and the neighborhood concerts all gave audiences the opportunity to hear music in new and different settings.
Still, for many of us, the best place to hear the orchestra is Orchestra Hall. Some of the most memorable concerts this season included the Festival of Flutes with Sir James Galway alongside the DSO’s own Sharon Sparrow and Jeff Zook, who performed Vivaldi’s Piccolo concerto to a full house. Favorite conductors featured this season included Neemi Jarvi, Jerzy Semkov, and Thomas Wilkins. It’s clear that Detroit audiences know, love and appreciate the conductors who know and respond to the heart of the DSO. The season finale will feature Robert DeMaine.
Looking ahead, the audience knows that DSO is a living, growing organization. We cannot stop change, nor should we strive to stop it. Audience input, however, remains an important goal as the DSO continues to develop new offerings. We must stay involved, whether as subscribers, donors, or new media users. As we know, cultural institutions in Detroit need community support. Let’s step up and hold our orchestra out to the world as a successful example
David Faulkner –
Saturday, Oct 8, Michel Camilo piano concerto #2 and Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, Leonard Slatkin conductor:
The Camilo was certainly new to my ears. I recall it being well performed by Mr. Camilo. I did not sense any real soul to the piece or Camilo’s interpretation. The Berlioz seemed rather mundane, predictable, somewhat choppy and i recall being nearly asleep after a couple movements. I believe there were about 30 substitute players that evening. Charles Dutoit’s colourful and highly dramatic reading of Symphonie Fantastique had me on the edge of my seat right from start to finish in a concert a few year’s back at OH. It seemed that Slatkin et al needed a blood transfusion in comparison to Dutoit.
Friday Oct 21, Neilsen Helios Overture, Franz Liszt piano concerto #2, Tchaikovsky Symphony #6(Pathetique), Jerzy Semkow conductor, Kirill Gerstein soloist:
The Helioz overture was rich with atmosphere and buzzed with excitement. I am not a big Liszt fan and especially not of the 2nd concerto. However it was lovingly performed by Gerstein and kind of won me over a least for that evening. Maestro Semkow has long been a favorite conductor of mine in Detroit. He has consistently given HIGHLY musical and polished performances mostly of Mendelsson, Mahler, Bruckner, Mozart and so forth. It was clear that night that Mr. Semkow was not well as he sat down to conduct the entire program. The Tchaikovsky had some wonderfully profound moments but i felt semkow took the 3rd movement (Marche) at a nearly impossible slow tempo. However Mr. Semkow should be thanked formally by DSO management for giving over 32 years of wonderful concerts to Detroit audiences. Are you listening DSO?
Thursday, Nov 17, Festival of Flutes featuring James Galway, Lady Jeanne Galway, Maria Piccinini, Jeff Zook-piccolo, Hai-Xin Wu-violin:
The program featured Bach Brandenburg concerto #4, Paquito D’Rivera Gran Danzon, Mozart flute concerto #2. The Bach was well played and quite spirited. The Gran Danzon found Maria Piccinini in great form. This piece was most interesting, with many unusual rhythms and colourful effects throughout. Jeff Zook took an engaging and fun romp thru the Vivaldi piccolo concerto. I was amazed at how zook was able to negotiate rapid-fire trills and runs and not losing his breath. Mr. Galway’s playing in the Mozart was “pretty” and technically flawless. One would have liked a little more depth and variance of tonal quality. All in all a very enjoyable night.
Friday Nov 25, Schubert “Unfinished” Symphony, Rachmaninov Symphony #3, Mason Bates “B-Sides.” Leonard Slatkin conductor, Mason Bates-Electronica:
The Schubert sounded like Mr Slatkin was in a big hurry to get it over with. Over the top dynamics and no sense of mystery. Things improved with the Rachmaninov. This was a well played but somewhat restrained effort. There were some wonderfully lush moments in the string melodies. The B-Sides exploded with all kinds of subtle color and dynamic shifts. Mason Bates is clearly an interesting composer. Although a bit repetitive the last movement was downright infectious.
Friday Jan 20, Franck Symphony in D Minor, Saint Saens Piano Concerto #2. Helen Bouchez Conductor, Conrad Tao soloist.
Mr. Tao’s playing in the concerto was full of high drama but also wonderfully tender when called for. Tao’s technical skills were enormous but he still managed to play quite musically for the most part. I enjoyed hearing the Franck which i had not heard for many years. Mrs. Bouchez’s conducting was fairly straight-forward but had moments of extra sparkle.
Friday Feb 24, John Adams, On the Transmigration of Souls, Brahms German Requiem. Leonard Slatkin Conductor, UMS Choral Union:
The Adams was plagued from the start with the “recorded” parts being too prominent against the hushed strings of the orchestra. Tho the piece was clearly moving it struck me as rather disjointed in parts. I enjoyed the Brahms. The Choral Union sang with strong conviction and produced mostly a unified fairly rich sound. There was however a very wobbly out of control vibrato from one of the sopranos which overwhelmed parts of the score. Slatkin’s conducting was fairly predictable but did have some beautiful moments.
Fri March 23, Mozart Don Giovanni Overture, Beehtoven Piano Concerto #5, Mozart Symphony # 38. Nicholas McGegan Conductor:
The Don Giovanni was rather pedestrian. The Beehtoven played by Robert Levin was rather earthbound. Levin’s brutally aggressive attack and bleached out tonal quality were not pleasing to these ears. I was lost by the end of the first movement. Nicholas McGegan led a fine performance of the Mozart symphony. Although McGegan is very much in the “original instrument” style of playing, he doesn’t go over the top with the lack of vibrato and somewhat dried-out tonal quality. The piece was quite engaging and refreshing to hear a new-”old” twist on things.
Sat March 31, Brahms Piano Concerto #2, Wagner-DEVLIEGER Die Meistersinger-Orchestral Tribute. Neeme Jarvi Conductor, Helene Grimaud soloist:
The LONG LONG overdue return of Neeme Jarvi. Mrs Grimaud’s playing in the Brahms was very competent and quite engaging overall. Once again though i thought her playing became rather strident and aggressive, almost out of control at times. Especially in the prayer-like second movement more poetry in her playing would have helped. Well the second half was all Neeme Jarvi. It took all of about five minutes to realize how much the DSO misses the charisma and innate musicality of Jarvi. It seemed like years since the sound of the cellos and strings had that much warmth and bloom to the sound. Jarvi ever the bubbly type had the audience very engaged right from the start. The two American encores were wonderful!
David Assemany –
I attended almost every classical week of the 2011-12 Season. I did miss the Classical Roots concert, and I will miss the Saint-Saëns concert next week.
From the outset it was clear that this was not the DSO from season’s past; so many faces gone, so many unknown musicians on the stage. The strings sounded distinctly different, who were all those percussionists, and what is with those cameras?! This was going to take some getting used to.
As the season progressed I got used to seeing the new faces. There seemed to be consistency in who was subbing which was good of course. The string sound filled out, the percussion section sounded good from the outset, the flutes found excellent players to fill out the section. I have always been a fan of Kim Kennedy, and seeing her step up as Acting Concertmaster was nice, as was hearing her in the starring role quite a few times, most notable the recent Wagner/Waxman Tristan and Isolde Fantasy. Acting Principal Flute Sharon Sparrow was her usual spectacular self. Other people who shone when asked to move up in the section included Úna O’Riordan, Cello and Geoffrey Johnson, English Horn.
As a pianist, I always look forward to the big piano concertos. This season had several highlights, one of them completely unexpected; the Conrad Tao concert in January featuring the Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 in G-minor. I loved it so much I went back the next night, and then watched the webcast! Conrad is a mesmerizing pianist, with technique to burn and more importantly a soul. He is a young man with quite a career already, and one to watch in the future.
Another unexpected delight was Final Alice by David Del Tredici. I had never heard of the piece, and quite honestly did not expect to love it. I did however love it, once again watching the webcast after attending the concert live the night before. It was a tour de force for the soprano Hila Plitmann, and the musicians got quite a workout as well. There are probably not many conductors who could pull this piece off as well as Maestro Slatkin did.
The webcasts evolved over the course of the season. They were a little rough at first, which is not surprising as they were navigating uncharted territory at every turn. However the Digital Media team led by Scott Harrison and Eric Woodhams quickly became expert at producing an excellent webcast. Kudos guys, looking forward to next season!
The Mix at the Max event in April was a fun departure from the norm. Featuring the Brooklyn-based chamber orchestra The Knights, it included a pre-concert mixer with food and drink from several local restaurants. The crowd was young and enthusiastic. Hopefully this sort of event will bring people to the hall who would not normally attend a classical concert.
A disappointment for me was the reduced season of classical concerts actually performed in Orchestra Hall. Most of the venues that the community concerts were performed in are acoustically poor and even the good ones don’t hold a candle to Orchestra Hall. I hope the ensuing seasons reduce the commitment to the community concerts and focus on getting those people to come to the DSO’s wonderful home stage. How about a free ticket to a concert in the hall with every purchase of a community concert ticket? Busses from the burbs?
On a different topic, I must tell about my experiences as an SOS officer with the DSO administration and staff at the MAX: Going into the season, I saw potential for friction with the administration while we from SOS tried to become more involved in the behind the scenes work of producing ‘world class music on the stage of Orchestra Hall.’ Happily this was not the case. The staff was always polite, professional, friendly and efficient. Upper management, starting right at the top with Anne Parsons, went out of their way to make the SOS Governing Members feel welcome and listened to. Our concerns were not always addressed, but they were always respectfully heard. We were not shy about pushing our way into the daily goings on. Our presence at the hall was always (seemingly) welcomed.
And finally, I would like to extend a big welcome to: Sheryl Hwangbo, violin – Monica Fosnaugh, English horn – Johanna Yarbrough, French horn – Peter McCaffrey, cello – David LeDoux, cello – Yoonshin Song, Concertmaster!
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Phil & Hanna Clampitt –
When we renewed our subscription to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, we chose the Saturday Night Classical C Series. We were cautiously optimistic. We do not know how typical we are as audience members, but we are two of them. How do we rate the season as we have experienced it so far, in early May 2012?
We have been pleased with what we’ve seen and heard. Highlights for us have included the “Festival of Flutes” with James Galway and Friends, enjoyable not just because of the Galways but because of the Vivaldi Piccolo Concerto in C played wonderfully by Jeffery Zook, the tour de force performance by flutist Marina Piccinini of the “Gran Danzon” by Paquito D’Rivera, and more (Nov. 19); the combination of Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony, Mason Bates’ “B-sides” and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3 (Nov. 25, memorable in part because visiting relatives joined us in enjoying this fine music in acoustically superb Orchestra Hall); Thomas Wilkins conducting music of Bartok, Glazunov, Schulhoff & Beethoven, & with Branford Marsalis as soloist in the Glazunov Concerto for Alto Saxophone (Dec. 3); and Emanuel Ax playing Mozart’s 22nd Piano Concerto, paired with Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 (Feb. 18). Leonard Slatkin conducted all of these concerts except the Dec. 3rd one, and we were enthusiastic both with the programs – combination of familiar and “new” compositions – and with the performances.
We’d like to focus particularly on what we saw and heard in March – a series of three concerts with many highlights all in one month:
(1) The March 3rd concert, conducted by Maestro Slatkin, consisting of the much-loved, and to us very familiar, “Peter and the Wolf” by Prokofiev, and (to us) the totally unfamiliar “Final Alice” (based on the Alice in Wonderland tales, which we love and had to go back to afterwards) by David Del Tredici. It was an interesting combination, and perhaps more so to the two of us who are now well into our second childhoods. We were also pleased that Del Tredici was present for the performance of his 70-minute composition, a sort of neo-romantic combination opera and symphony. “Final Alice” intriguingly combines a huge orchestra – including many wind instruments, percussion, soprano saxophone, banjo, accordion, etc. – and a lone soprano soloist, Hila Plitmann; we had never heard of her before, but she was spectacular in this very difficult and demanding role as singer, narrator, actress, etc. We had binoculars, and often watched her varying facial expressions – fear, disgust, joy, anger, peace, etc. – as the tale of the Knave of Hearts being on trial for stealing the tarts made by the Queen of Hearts unfolded. We found this piece totally intriguing, and wonderfully performed.
(2) The March 17th Classical Roots concert was conducted by Andre Raphel. (You may know that the program was a memorial to Dr. Arthur Johnson, long-time DSO Board Member and patron of education and the arts in Detroit, who died last fall. There were several speeches, and some awards, appreciating him and his legacy.) We liked Andre Raphel as a conductor and enjoyed the varied program. This included the opening “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” for chorus and orchestra; spirituals sung a capella by the Brazeal Dennard Chorale; a new orchestral piece by Daniel Bernard Roumain called “Dancers, Dreamers & Presidents”; four beautiful spirituals arranged for soprano and orchestra by Hale Smith, with Janice Chandler Eteme as soloist; Hale Smith’s “By Yearning and By Beautiful” for string orchestra; and concluding with William Levi Dawson’s “Negro Folk Symphony,” a splendid piece. The music was all interesting to us, but with the speeches in addition to the music, we think the program was a little too long.
(3) We got tickets to attend the March 31st concert with Neeme Jarvi conducting, and it was wonderful to see him again, and to hear the DSO under his direction. Helene Grimaud’s performance of Brahms’ 1st Piano Concerto was superlative, as was the orchestral accompaniment. It didn’t much matter to us that the other major work was the Wagner/de Vlieger “Die Meistersinger: An Orchestral Tribute.” We were just delighted to see and hear Jarvi in action again with the DSO. It was a fine performance, as were the delightful encores that followed. We agree with the heading of Mark Stryker’s enthusiastic review in the Free Press: “Jarvi has the DSO playing like he never left.” We thought about conducting styles that evening. Phil put it this way to a friend who lives elsewhere: “Jarvi was in good form, as we have known him in the past; the artistry just flows out of him spontaneously, and the DSO responded with wonderful performances.” We think it has something to do with love.
Although we were not able to attend a couple of other DSO concerts in person – both conducted by Leonard Slatkin – we very much enjoyed seeing the live webcasts from home. (Not as good as being in Orchestra Hall, but second best.) One, in late February, combined John Adams’ “On the Transmigration of Souls” (new to us) and the Brahms “Requiem” (very familiar, Phil having sung in a chorus doing this several decades ago). Wonderful concert! The other, April 21st, included Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasy” (for solo piano – Jeffrey Biegel – orchestra and chorus – the UMS Choral Union), William Bolcom’s (Michigan composer!) “Prometheus” (same combination), and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.” Another wonderful combination – including the Bolcom piece that we had never heard before. We thought Geoffrey Johnson’s (African-American Orchestra Fellow in the DSO) English horn solo in the Dvorak Symphony’s slow movement was exquisite, and the whole orchestra was at its best!
Whatever the sizes of the audiences for these various concerts, however many substitute musicians may have participated (we didn’t try to count), and whoever conducted – Slatkin was conductor for most of them – we joined with the rest of the audience in enthusiastic responses to the performances. We continue to be enriched by the quality of music that we receive from our DSO musicians.
What has been the experience of other SOS members who have attended DSO concerts this year?
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David Assemany –
I attended almost every classical week of the 2011-12 Season. I did miss the Classical Roots concert, and I will miss the Saint-Saëns concert next week.
From the outset it was clear that this was not the DSO from season’s past; so many faces gone, so many unknown musicians on the stage. The strings sounded distinctly different, who were all those percussionists, and what is with those cameras?! This was going to take some getting used to…
As the season progressed I did get used to seeing the new faces. There seemed to be consistency in who was subbing which was good of course. The string sound filled out, the percussion section sounded good from the very first week and the flutes found excellent players to fill out the section. I have always been a fan of Kim Kennedy, and seeing her step up as Acting Concertmaster was a treat, as was hearing her in the starring role quite a few times, most notable the recent Wagner/Waxman Tristan and Isolde Fantasy. Acting Principal flute Sharon Sparrow was her usual spectacular self. Other people who shone when asked to move up in the section included Úna O’Riordan, Cello and Geoffrey Johnson, English Horn.
As a pianist, I always look forward to the big piano concertos. This season had several highlights, one of them completely unexpected; the Conrad Tao concert in January featuring the Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 in G-minor. I loved it so much I went back the next night, and then watched the webcast! Conrad is a mesmerizing pianist, with technique to burn and more importantly a soul. He is a young man with quite a career already, and one to watch in the future.
Another unexpected delight was Final Alice by David Del Tredici. I had never heard of the piece, and quite honestly did not expect to love it. I did however love it, once again watching the webcast after attending the concert live the night before. It was a tour de force for the soprano Hila Plitmann, and the musicians got quite a workout as well. There are probably not many conductors who could pull this piece off as well as Maestro Slatkin did.
The webcasts evolved over the course of the season. They were a little rough at first, which is not surprising as they were navigating uncharted territory at every turn. However the Digital Media team led by Scott Harrison and Eric Woodhams quickly became expert at producing an excellent webcast. Kudos guys, looking forward to next season!
The Mix at the Max event in April was a fun departure from the norm. Featuring the Brooklyn-based chamber orchestra The Knights, it included a pre-concert mixer with food and drink from several local restaurants. The crowd was young and enthusiastic. Hopefully this sort of event will bring people to the hall who would not normally attend a classical concert.
A disappointment for me was the reduced season of classical concerts actually performed in Orchestra Hall. Most of the venues that the community concerts were performed in are acoustically poor and even the good ones don’t hold a candle to Orchestra Hall. I hope the ensuing seasons reduce the commitment to the community concerts and focus on getting those people to come to the DSO’s wonderful home stage. How about a free ticket to a concert in the hall with every purchase of a community concert ticket? Busses from the burbs?
On a different topic, I must tell about my experiences as an SOS officer with the DSO administration and staff at the MAX: Going into the season, I saw potential for friction with the administration while we from SOS tried to become more involved in the behind the scenes work of producing ‘world class music on the stage of Orchestra Hall.’ Happily this was not the case. The staff was always polite, professional, friendly and efficient. Upper management, starting right at the top with Anne Parsons, went out of their way to make the SOS Governing Members feel welcome and listened to. Our concerns were not always addressed, but they were always respectfully heard. We were not shy about pushing our way into the daily goings on. Our presence at the hall was always (seemingly) welcomed.
And finally, I would like to extend a big welcome to: Sheryl Hwangbo, violin – Monica Fosnaugh, English horn – Johanna Yarbrough, French horn – Peter McCaffrey, cello – David LeDoux, cello – Yoonshin Song, Concertmaster! Click HERE for a nice column on them in the Detroit News article by Larry Johnson.
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Cornelia Pokrzywa -
For those of us who eagerly awaited the end of the strike and the return of the musicians to Orchestra Hall, the 2011-12 season brought many highlights tempered by bittersweet moments and some notes of longing.
The shortened Spring-Summer offerings in 2011 brought us one of the saddest days in recent memory – the final concert of much-beloved concertmaster Emmanuelle Boisvert. Since her departure was a direct result of the strike, there was no opportunity for a fond and formal farewell. Her last concert was simply her last concert. Other retirements and departures followed. As a result, the 2011-2012 season featured perhaps the largest number of substitute musicians that audiences had ever seen.
For those of us who hold a special fondness for our musicians, it was often difficult to come to concerts knowing that we may not see or hear a favorite. Some, of course, had moved on for good. Others, due to the strike, took on obligations that limited their performances in the 2011-12 season.
Audience favorite Kim Kennedy led the 2011-12 season as acting concertmaster, performing solos and a concerto to the delight of those who have admired her playing for years. The recent announcement of a new concertmaster has many audience members excited for what will come.
One benefit of the limited offerings this season: many of the musicians took to concertizing in the community and beyond. Local chamber music programs gave the audience the opportunity to listen to our esteemed musicians in more intimate settings. A brunch series at the Birmingham Community House, the ProMozart Society, Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, and the neighborhood concerts all gave audiences the opportunity to hear music in new and different settings.
Still, for many of us, the best place to hear the orchestra is Orchestra Hall. Some of the most memorable concerts this season included the Festival of Flutes with Sir James Galway alongside the DSO’s own Sharon Sparrow and Jeff Zook, who performed Vivaldi’s Piccolo concerto to a full house. Favorite conductors featured this season included Neemi Jarvi, Jerzy Semkov, and Thomas Wilkins. It’s clear that Detroit audiences know, love and appreciate the conductors who know and respond to the heart of the DSO. The season finale will feature Robert DeMaine.
Looking ahead, the audience knows that DSO is a living, growing organization. We cannot stop change, nor should we strive to stop it. Audience input, however, remains an important goal as the DSO continues to develop new offerings. We must stay involved, whether as subscribers, donors, or new media users. As we know, cultural institutions in Detroit need community support. Let’s step up and hold our orchestra out to the world as a successful example
—————————————-
David Faulkner –
Saturday, Oct 8, Michel Camilo piano concerto #2 and Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, Leonard Slatkin conductor:
The Camilo was certainly new to my ears. I recall it being well performed by Mr. Camilo. I did not sense any real soul to the piece or Camilo’s interpretation. The Berlioz seemed rather mundane, predictable, somewhat choppy and i recall being nearly asleep after a couple movements. I believe there were about 30 substitute players that evening. Charles Dutoit’s colourful and highly dramatic reading of Symphonie Fantastique had me on the edge of my seat right from start to finish in a concert a few year’s back at OH. It seemed that Slatkin et al needed a blood transfusion in comparison to Dutoit.
Friday Oct 21, Neilsen Helios Overture, Franz Liszt piano concerto #2, Tchaikovsky Symphony #6(Pathetique), Jerzy Semkow conductor, Kirill Gerstein soloist:
The Helioz overture was rich with atmosphere and buzzed with excitement. I am not a big Liszt fan and especially not of the 2nd concerto. However it was lovingly performed by Gerstein and kind of won me over a least for that evening. Maestro Semkow has long been a favorite conductor of mine in Detroit. He has consistently given HIGHLY musical and polished performances mostly of Mendelsson, Mahler, Bruckner, Mozart and so forth. It was clear that night that Mr. Semkow was not well as he sat down to conduct the entire program. The Tchaikovsky had some wonderfully profound moments but i felt semkow took the 3rd movement (Marche) at a nearly impossible slow tempo. However Mr. Semkow should be thanked formally by DSO management for giving over 32 years of wonderful concerts to Detroit audiences. Are you listening DSO?
Thursday, Nov 17, Festival of Flutes featuring James Galway, Lady Jeanne Galway, Maria Piccinini, Jeff Zook-piccolo, Hai-Xin Wu-violin:
The program featured Bach Brandenburg concerto #4, Paquito D’Rivera Gran Danzon, Mozart flute concerto #2. The Bach was well played and quite spirited. The Gran Danzon found Maria Piccinini in great form. This piece was most interesting, with many unusual rhythms and colourful effects throughout. Jeff Zook took an engaging and fun romp thru the Vivaldi piccolo concerto. I was amazed at how zook was able to negotiate rapid-fire trills and runs and not losing his breath. Mr. Galway’s playing in the Mozart was “pretty” and technically flawless. One would have liked a little more depth and variance of tonal quality. All in all a very enjoyable night.
Friday Nov 25, Schubert “Unfinished” Symphony, Rachmaninov Symphony #3, Mason Bates “B-Sides.” Leonard Slatkin conductor, Mason Bates-Electronica:
The Schubert sounded like Mr Slatkin was in a big hurry to get it over with. Over the top dynamics and no sense of mystery. Things improved with the Rachmaninov. This was a well played but somewhat restrained effort. There were some wonderfully lush moments in the string melodies. The B-Sides exploded with all kinds of subtle color and dynamic shifts. Mason Bates is clearly an interesting composer. Although a bit repetitive the last movement was downright infectious.
Friday Jan 20, Franck Symphony in D Minor, Saint Saens Piano Concerto #2. Helen Bouchez Conductor, Conrad Tao soloist.
Mr. Tao’s playing in the concerto was full of high drama but also wonderfully tender when called for. Tao’s technical skills were enormous but he still managed to play quite musically for the most part. I enjoyed hearing the Franck which i had not heard for many years. Mrs. Bouchez’s conducting was fairly straight-forward but had moments of extra sparkle.
Friday Feb 24, John Adams, On the Transmigration of Souls, Brahms German Requiem. Leonard Slatkin Conductor, UMS Choral Union:
The Adams was plagued from the start with the “recorded” parts being too prominent against the hushed strings of the orchestra. Tho the piece was clearly moving it struck me as rather disjointed in parts. I enjoyed the Brahms. The Choral Union sang with strong conviction and produced mostly a unified fairly rich sound. There was however a very wobbly out of control vibrato from one of the sopranos which overwhelmed parts of the score. Slatkin’s conducting was fairly predictable but did have some beautiful moments.
Fri March 23, Mozart Don Giovanni Overture, Beehtoven Piano Concerto #5, Mozart Symphony # 38. Nicholas McGegan Conductor:
The Don Giovanni was rather pedestrian. The Beehtoven played by Robert Levin was rather earthbound. Levin’s brutally aggressive attack and bleached out tonal quality were not pleasing to these ears. I was lost by the end of the first movement. Nicholas McGegan led a fine performance of the Mozart symphony. Although McGegan is very much in the “original instrument” style of playing, he doesn’t go over the top with the lack of vibrato and somewhat dried-out tonal quality. The piece was quite engaging and refreshing to hear a new-”old” twist on things.
Sat March 31, Brahms Piano Concerto #2, Wagner-DEVLIEGER Die Meistersinger-Orchestral Tribute. Neeme Jarvi Conductor, Helene Grimaud soloist:
The LONG LONG overdue return of Neeme Jarvi. Mrs Grimaud’s playing in the Brahms was very competent and quite engaging overall. Once again though i thought her playing became rather strident and aggressive, almost out of control at times. Especially in the prayer-like second movement more poetry in her playing would have helped. Well the second half was all Neeme Jarvi. It took all of about five minutes to realize how much the DSO misses the charisma and innate musicality of Jarvi. It seemed like years since the sound of the cellos and strings had that much warmth and bloom to the sound. Jarvi ever the bubbly type had the audience very engaged right from the start. The two American encores were wonderful!
Dear SOS members:
Avanti Summer Music Fest is well on its way. We have over 150 students confirmed; we have our Ensemble Directors in place & an enthusiastic Steering Committee that is working hard to make this all happen.
However, we still need YOU! We are in the midst of fundraising, having our first event on May 20th at Our Lady Star of the Sea. Please read about it at http://www.avantisummermusicfest.org/ . You can help! We are having a reception after the silent auction & concert and are in need of decorations for tables and goodies to serve.
All you bakers, now is your chance to show off your skill. We are looking for cookies or brownies, any kind of hand held sweet for the reception.
Not at home in the kitchen? How about purchasing some 2 liter bottles of soda or lemonade? Or donating money for us to purchase them and/or the decorations (plastic table cloths, napkins, name tags for Avanti families, etc)?
Want to attend? Great! Not only will we take your donation at the door, there will be a silent auction on which to bid and opportunities to volunteer for various tasks (helping with parking, manning the name tag table, keeping the goodies stocked, etc as well as that most important task: clean up!).
Please contact me with how YOU can help!
Bev Williams
Avanti Steering Committee
248-762-8296
The DSO is a community-supported orchestra and your commitment is essential to our success. We invite you to play your part through frequent ticket purchases and tax-deductible annual donations. Your gift supports activities including Live from Orchestra Hall webcasts, Civic Youth Ensembles and our Neighborhood Series and community performances throughout Metro Detroit.
Detroit, (Feb. 15, 2012) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), The Musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (MDSO) and Save Our Symphony (SOS) have announced a six-day intensive summer experience for young musicians ages 14-18, who will have the opportunity to train with DSO musicians. Avanti Summer MusicFest is scheduled for July 16-21, 2012 at Derby Middle School in Birmingham, Mich. and will culminate in a live student performance on the world-renowned stage at historic Orchestra Hall.
“Avanti is yet another example of the progressive way in which all the components of the DSO are uniting. This initiative, coming from the musicians, shows how much all of us care about the musical education of our city’s young people,” said DSO Music Director Leonard Slatkin. “With coaching, master classes, sectional rehearsals and performances, I believe that we are truly paving a path to the future.”
Open to 140 students, the program is composed of a band and an orchestra, in which students will rehearse two hours each day. Students will spend an additional two hours daily in small sectionals led by DSO musicians on their respective instruments.
Kevin Good, a 33-year veteran trumpeter with the DSO said, “This provides a much-needed local camp for music students during the summer break. We’re excited about reaching young performers who have had little to no experience with the DSO, but who have studied music in their schools and want to take it to another level.”
Open enrollment for Avanti’s workshop is currently underway and will close as each instrument section is filled. Tuition for the workshop is $300. Interested parents, students or teachers can visit www.avantisummermusicfest.org to download application forms. Applications must be fully completed and will be considered in the order in which they are received. DSO musicians contributed $5,000 to help with financial aid to students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend.
SOS President Judy Doyle said, “This project is a demonstration of the different parties within the DSO and the community coming together, working collaboratively, respectfully and admiring what each party brings to the table. By partnering with the community on this pilot, the musicians and the DSO created a new and fresh model for connecting with its public.” The success of Avanti this July will lay the foundation for future summer festival workshops and concerts along with additional partnership opportunities between the MDSO, the DSO and the community.
Click HERE to read the article in the December 2011 edition of Non-Profit Quarterly
December 13, 2011
Sean Buchanan and Patricia Bradshaw
What Exactly Is Stakeholder Resistance?A board-approved merger between two nonprofits is quashed due to pressure from donors. Two Girl Scouts mobilize opposition to the use of palm oil in Girl Scout cookies and get the nonprofit to change the recipe. A recreation center on the verge of closure is prevented from doing so by the work of community members. A labor dispute between musicians and management in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra leads to the creation of an advocacy group that becomes a powerful voice in the negotiation process. These examples highlight an emerging phenomenon that is gaining momentum worldwide—that of what we are calling “stakeholder resistance,” but what some executive directors may experience as “stakeholder rebellion.”
What is interesting about stakeholder resistance is that it originates with individuals who are not “insiders” in organizations, and that these “outsiders” are at times engaging in acts that challenge, disrupt, and even change organizational policies, practices, and actions. These individuals can actually limit the autonomy of organizational decision making, yet they are not legislators, lobby groups, or key funders. Generally speaking, an organization’s stakeholders are those who are linked to an organization in ways other than a formal contract.1
In the case of nonprofits, stakeholders often include donors, members, and community members who engage with the organization either directly or indirectly.2 Frequently, a strategic planning process includes a stakeholder analysis—an exercise that involves identifying key stakeholders as well as their interests and sources of power. The really influential, or those whose interests are perceived to be a threat, are then attended to, and the rest are mostly ignored. Clients being served or small, widely distributed individual donors are examples of those who have traditionally been seen to have interests in alignment with those of the organization or as having diffuse power bases and hence not necessary to include in a strategic planning process.
The term resistance was originally used with a negative connotation, as in “resistance to planned and top-down change,” and it implied that compliance with the dictates of the leadership was expected and positive.3 Since then, the term has been reclaimed by more critical scholars as an act of purposefully undermining the status quo and the taken-for-granted ways things are always done, and resistance is celebrated as an act that pushes back on established power relations.4 Within the second tradition, studies have focused primarily on two types of resistance: workplace resistance and civil society resistance. Workplace resistance focuses on how workers resist employer practices, actions, and rules. This resistance consists of both overt actions such as strikes, whistle blowing, and sabotage and more covert actions of resistance through rhetoric, shirking, cynicism, and humor.5
Research on civil society resistance, on the other hand, has focused well outside the domain of the organization and examines social movements and the processes by which groups form resistance against dominant rules, norms, or practices in society.6 Environmental NGOs have received particular attention for their acts of resistance. For example, the actions taken by Greenpeace to prevent Shell Oil’s decision to dispose of an oil-storage buoy in the deep sea eventually resulted in Shell’s overturning its initial decision.7 Civil society resistance differs from workplace resistance because it emerges from an external source, whereas workplace resistance emerges internally.
Stakeholder resistance, we are suggesting, falls in the space between workplace resistance and civil society resistance.8 These stakeholders are not employees of an organization but are likely more closely connected to the organization than the broader civil society. Take the case of the failed merger between Smile Train and Operation Smile—two organizations that repair cleft palates of children across the world. The resistance to the merger planned by the two boards of directors emerged primarily from the Smile Train donors, who mobilized opposition to the merger though an online petition.
In the case of the resistance enacted against the Girl Scout organization for its use of palm oil in cookies, it was two members of the girl scouts who engaged in the resistance. Fifteen-year-old Rhiannon Tomtishen and sixteen-year-old Madison Vorva learned through a Girl Scout project that the habitat of orangutans in Southeast Asia was diminishing because rainforests were being cleared for palm oil plantations. Palm oil, as it turns out, is a key ingredient in all Girl Scout cookies. After a failed attempt at sparking change with the Girl Scouts directly, Rhiannon and Madison began mobilizing support from other activist groups such as Rainforest Action Network.
Stakeholder resistance can also emerge from community members who interact with an organization. When a YMCA in Elmira, New York, was on the verge of shutting down due to a lack of funds, over two thousand community members signed an online petition urging local officials to find a solution to keep the YMCA operating. Meanwhile, grassroots groups of students from a local university and local elders met to discuss how the Y could be saved. This resulted in the adoption of the YMCA by a local senior center, allowing it to continue to operate.
On other occasions, stakeholder resistance might emerge from several groups simultaneously. The dispute between musicians and management in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led to the creation of an advocacy group called Save Our Symphony, composed of several stakeholder groups including donors, audience members, and the local community. As the above examples illustrate, stakeholder resistance is unique in that it emerges from individuals and groups who are connected to an organization but often don’t have the immediate access of an employee.
What Is Causing These Acts of Resistance?
While the specific causes of stakeholder resistance differ from organization to organization, it appears that underlying almost all the acts is a deep dissatisfaction with the organizations’ responsiveness to their stakeholders. Specifically, in each of the examples highlighted in this article the acts of resistance against the organization resulted from a lack of voice given to their stakeholder groups in organizational decisions. This marginalization of the stakeholders may stem from the fact that they were considered to be secondary stakeholders,which afforded them less of a direct influence on organizational decision making than primary stakeholders, such as board members.9 Furthermore, these secondary stakeholders are less organized than other broader stakeholder groups such as social movement organizations like the environmental NGOs mentioned earlier.10 Thus, with less assumed importance to the organization and less formal power, these stakeholders are often not given adequate attention by their focal organizations.11 Under these conditions of little formal voice and low organizational responsiveness, stakeholders who have a particular interest that they feel strongly about are more likely to engage in the types of resistance this article describes. It may also be the case that there may be a triggering event that activates resistance and that these events are difficult to anticipate. As the resistance mobilizes and the emotional subtext gets more heated (these acts are often accompanied by anger or anxiety), there is an amplification of a collective voice among what are normally diffuse actors.
Although these stakeholders are often in marginalized positions vis-à-vis the organizations, the organizations often attempt to communicate with them. Traditionally this has been through publications such as newsletters, which represent one-way communication mechanisms. The collective voice of stakeholders would traditionally be at a membership meeting, and while revolts have taken place in such forums, they could also at times be anticipated and managed. Nonprofit leaders recognize that these stakeholders have a critical role in the success of the organization, and failure to meet the needs of stakeholders can have many negative consequences.12
What Is Enabling These Acts of Resistance?
What has caused this apparent surge of stories of stakeholder resistance? Why now? One commonality to all these examples is the presence of social media as a tool for stakeholder communication, mobilization, and engagement. As recent examples in Egypt and Libya have demonstrated, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter can play a large role in activism and resistance. There are several reasons for the effectiveness of social media in resistance—primarily, the direct, efficient, and low cost of Internet communication provides a powerful tool to engage a wide variety of stakeholders who may be isolated from traditional forms of collective action.13 Interestingly, the interactivity of social media facilitates an unprecedented degree of two-way communication between organizations and stakeholders. Increasingly, nonprofits are using social media to engage their stakeholders through information provision, disclosure of performance, fundraising, and two-way communication.14 This communication provides an avenue for organizations to engage stakeholders; however, it also provides a means for stakeholders to resist organizational actions or practices.
For example, the dispute in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra was made very public through social media, with the Save Our Symphony advocacy group creating a Facebook page where stakeholders could communicate with each other and the organization.
Opposition to the Smile Train and Operation Smile merger and the closing of the Elmira, New York, YMCA gained momentum through the use of social media platforms. And when a group in Minnesota started a campaign to boycott the annual Basilica Block Party to protest the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’s support of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, it was done through the group’s Facebook page, which gained over six thousand followers.
Stakeholder resistance can also occur right on the organization’s own social media sites, albeit in a more disorganized fashion. For example, one way in which stakeholders voiced support for a ban on palm oil in Girl Scout cookies was to post negative comments on the Girl Scout Facebook page.
In all the above cases, previously diffuse actors came together virtually and thus shifted their power base.
Strategic planning processes that include stakeholder analysis of stakeholders’ respective interests and power must include a more critical appreciation of the power of these previously relatively powerless actors and take into account the impact of social media. Ironically, as with the Girl Scouts example, the sites that are often used in these resistance actions are ones established by the nonprofits themselves; when these are not managed well or monitored, there is no one to respond to concerns that are expressed or to catch the trigger events, and before long strong emotions—and then actions—escalate.
Challenges and Opportunities for Organizations
Stakeholder resistance presents a number of challenges for nonprofits. As a result of the increasing two-way communication between organizations and stakeholders, there is greater opportunity for formal resistance on the part of stakeholders than ever before. Moreover, the actions of organizations are becoming more transparent and publicly available, leaving little opportunity for organizational actions, practices, and policies to go unnoticed by stakeholders.
Another challenge for organizations with respect to stakeholder resistance is that it takes place on a public stage. In the cases of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra dispute and the Smile Train and Operation Smile merger opposition, the debates occurred in a very public way on company websites and Facebook pages. In some cases the debates can get very heated and, in some cases, reflect negatively on the organization as a whole.
Studies have shown that while most nonprofits have a social media presence, it tends to be underutilized as a communication tool. One study examined the Facebook pages of 275 nonprofits and found that relationship building with stakeholders was virtually nonexistent.15 Another study of nonprofits suggested that these organizations appeared to view the mere creation of social media pages as active engagement with stakeholders.16 Thus, it appears that while social media is providing more of an opportunity for organizations and stakeholders to communicate with each other, the bulk of interaction occurs during periods when stakeholders are unhappy with the organization.
Of course, the increasing engagement and power of stakeholders need not be viewed as a negative for nonprofits—especially considering how many of them are actively trying to increase stakeholder engagement and how many are committed to democratic participation. The generative dialogic communication between organization and stakeholder that is facilitated by social media offers an opportunity for these organizations to openly and effectively engage stakeholders and build a greater sense of community.
In the cases of stakeholder resistance outlined in this article, the organizations under scrutiny appear to have lacked a clear and open line of communication with their stakeholders. By closing themselves off, the organizations, perhaps inadvertently, created a barrier between themselves and their stakeholders. We suggest that these are the conditions under which stakeholder resistance will most likely occur.
Acts of stakeholder resistance are unlikely to disappear anytime soon. As the examples in this article indicate, stakeholders have been quite successful in their acts of resistance. Mitchell, Agle, and Wood note that organizations are likely to be most responsive to stakeholders with high levels of power, legitimacy, and urgency; and when stakeholders actively resist, they increase the power they have in relation to the organization by mobilizing opposition and resources.17 This increased power then works to heighten the urgency and enhance the legitimacy of their grievance in the eyes of the organization and the world at large. The increasing power of social media provides an important tool as well as a potential weapon for stakeholders, and the trend in stakeholder resistance will likely continue to grow in importance as more stakeholders begin to make their voices heard—making it essential for nonprofits to put serious time and effort into their active engagement with their stakeholders.
December 8, 2011, MDSO bassoonist Victoria King delivers remarks to DSO’s General Annual Meeting
Click HERE to view the address on the DSOM website
Good afternoon, Governing Members, Members, Board Members, Staff and Colleagues,
I am Victoria King and am currently musician liaison to the DSO’s Governing Members. I have been a Detroit Symphony Orchestra bassoonist for 28 years.
The bassoon is often referred to as the clown of the orchestra. In order to play the bassoon well, one must be all thumbs. My left thumb alone operates ten keys. With all of the work our opposable thumbs have to do, we bassoonists like to think of ourselves as being a little further along the evolutionary scale than other musicians. We therefore can be seen, not as the clowns of the orchestra, but as the crown of the orchestra.
All clowning aside, we, the musicians, would like to thank all of you for several reasons: your generosity, your dedication, your enthusiasm. Whether your support comes in the form of your time, your attendance at concerts, or your donations, we want you to know that your participation has never been — and never will be — unnoticed and unappreciated. While most of you do not appear on stage or on staff, please know that you are a vital part of this Detroit Symphony Orchestra family.
We know you remember that, at this time last year, this institution was in extreme distress. Remembering last year is imperative so that everyone can step back and learn from all of our mistakes and strengthen our resolve — together — to never allow things to get to that point again.
There have been recent activities and happenings to celebrate. This institution means so many different things to so many different people — from our educational programs to our jazz concerts, for example — but let us not forget the name under which we operate: the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra — the musicians that comprise what you see and hear onstage at Orchestra Hall, in the community, on recordings and the internet, and around the world — is the true public face of what we are all about: the performance of great music by a great orchestra. This is our primary “product” and we must never lose sight of that.
To be honest, we are concerned and will always be concerned about that product. While we remain committed to excellence, we can’t help but wonder if we will be able to attract and retain the best musicians in the future. At present, musicians are leaving at a far greater rate than they can be replaced. The results of recent auditions have been mostly unsuccessful, a dramatic and telling indication that there is much work to be done to repair our reputation among those exceptional musicians whom we seek to fill the many open positions in the orchestra. We must have a stable team on stage to regain — and maintain — the ensemble’s distinctive sound and performing tradition that have made us unique and respected around the world. We all must do what we can to reverse this trend if we are to maintain an orchestra that is great, an orchestra that is relevant – an orchestra of which we can all be proud.
Rebuilding – whether it is an orchestra, a city — or even trust — is difficult work, but it can be done and it must be done. With your attention, assistance, and goodwill, together we will rebuild — one step at a time — and it will be done.
Again, we thank all of you for all of the time, resources and energy that each of you have provided on behalf of this organization.
And thank you for this opportunity to share this with you and, on behalf of my friends and colleagues of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, we wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season.
Released by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on December 9, 2011
This afternoon, DSO voting members, orchestra and staff met to sum up fiscal year 2011, a year that saw both a trying work stoppage and a triumphant comeback. Below is a summary of the statistics that accompanied those realities. The full press release outlining Fiscal Year 2011 is available here.
In place of a traditional concert season, DSO programming was limited to a six-week “Spring Season” (April 9-June 6), performances which saw sold-out and standing room only audiences. The total Spring Season audience totaled 40,456 (three times the expected number), meeting the Spring Season revenue goal of $456,000. In the abbreviated season, the DSO raised $9.92 million in annual, event, and project contributions and marked the achievement of revised season contribution goals. This is in contrast to $11.8 million raised in 2009-10.
Summer collaborations with the Eleanor and Edsel Ford House attracted over 5,600 attendees, exceeding the ticket sales goal by 46 percent and resulting in two sold-out concerts. The “Salute to America” concerts at Greenfield Village attracted approximately 26,000 patrons with sales of $490,726, putting it among the top five attendance years for the 19-year-old event.
These encouraging results have continued through these first seven weeks of the 2011-12 season. Through November 30, 2011, DSO reports fundraising of $5.1 million in gifts and pledges, putting the 2011-12 campaign 74 percent ahead of last year’s campaign through the same time period. Tickets sales are up 18 percent above the first seven weeks of the 2009-10 season and revenue is up 37 percent.
The DSO is reaching a broader audience than ever. Our brand new “Live From Orchestra Hall” HD webcasts have helped us share the DSO’s music with more than 25,000 people in 35 countries since April. Previewed in the May, and kicking off this weekend, the inaugural season of the Neighborhood Concert Series is expanding our audience base to six metro Detroit neighborhoods: Beverly Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Dearborn, Grosse Pointe, Southfield and West Bloomfield Township. More than 1,200 subscriptions have been sold, 80 percent of which have no recent DSO subscription history and a third of which have no recent DSO ticketing history whatsoever. And similar to the Spring Season, roughly half of the patrons buying single tickets to DSO classical concerts are new to the DSO.
The meeting was followed by a strolling dinner, generously provided by the Board of Directors in honor of the Orchestra.
Governing Members Orientation and Town Hall Meeting
November 17, 2011
Governing members (GMs), 2 musician representatives Randy Hawes and Vicki King, DSO staff and management including President and CEO Anne Parsons and Executive Vice President Paul Hogle mingled from 7 a.m. until 8 a.m. over breakfast.
SOS/DSO Governing members in attendance were David Assemany, David Kuziemko, David Faulkner and Denise Neville. Judy Doyle was unable to attend.
Welcome and Opening Remarks:
Jan Bernick, GM Vice-Chair Philanthropy, gave the opening remarks. The Governing members concept was patterned primarily after what was done by the Chicago Symphony. Other symphonies such as Atlanta and Baltimore had influence as well. The intention of the group is to present opportunities for leadership on behalf of the DSO. Active participation is a “huge part” of the concept behind the Governing members. GMs also are voting members. The DSO’s Annual Meeting is scheduled for December 8th, 2011.
The Governing members had over 50 new members last May and added another 34 this season.
Jan asked everyone present to introduce themselves and give a brief statement regarding their connection to the DSO. While this did take some time, it became very clear that this group is comprised of enthusiastic supporters of the DSO with a long history of involvement who were glad to be there in spite of the very early start time of 7 a.m.
Introduction of GM Committees:
Several committees comprise the GMs with Arthur T. O’ Reilly serving as the Chairperson. The committees and their corresponding Vice Chairs are as follows:
Communications – Frederick (Fritz) J. Morsches Build awareness of GMs, assist with DSO website and other written materials; in development is the GM newsletter High Notes
Membership – Maureen D’Avanzo Bring new members into the fold, look for prospective hosts for future GM functions
Engagement – Bonnie Larson Offer different events and opportunities for governing members to come together
Outreach – James Farber Outreach with musicians and the community; Dave Assemany is Chair of musician outreach
Philanthropy – Janice Bernick
Governance – Mary Mansfield This will help establish ways for GMs to communicate ideas to the board possibly through quarterly town meetings, for example. Since it is new, the scope and responsibilities are still being developed.
Each Vice Chair gave brief overviews of their respective areas of responsibilities and invited GM participation on their committees.
Special Presentation by Vince Ford, DSO Digital Consultant
DSO Consultant Vince Ford also worked this past year as Executive Director for Media Development for the New York Philharmonic. He restated the goal announced at the DSO’s December 2010 Annual Meeting which is “to make the DSO the most accessible orchestra on the the planet.”
During the past year, this goal was accomplished through patron engagement, digital distribution and culture change that includes, for example, lowering the price of ticket sales, the DSO Sound Card for students, Detroit’s Rush ticket program.
Under “Digital Distribution,” the DSO accomplished the following:
1. Upgrades to the website to make it more professional, user friendly
2. New Email Program: DSO Concert Insider sends out program notes and other concert announcements via email prior to upcoming concerts.
3. DSO YouTube channel
4. Mobile phone application: DSO To Go
5. Webcasts “Live From Orchestra Hall” Latest numbers show that these webcasts have been watched by 3,000 viewers and 30 countries world-wide
Remarks by Anne Parsons:
Anne Parsons spoke briefly about the how exciting, rapidly changing and fast-paced these times are for the DSO. Along with other issues facing the DSO, she stressed that “retention and attraction of top talent is most important.”
Due to lack of time, she was unable to address questions, but promised that all questions were important and would be answered at a later time. She turned the floor over to Paul Hogle.
Breakout Discussions – Paul Hogle
Paul cited some statistics about the recent successes of the DSO: Concert attendance is up 40 percent over 2009-10 pre-strike levels; 16 percent increase in classical subscriptions; the community concerts netted 1000 subscriptions in 30 days with an 80 percent of these subscribers having no former history of subscribing.
Paul Hogle organized the tables into groups of four and assigned each table a topic to be discussed amongst the GMS who were given 15 minutes.
These topics were as follows:
Goal No. 1: Artistically & educationally vital while becoming financially viable, resulting in being vigorously celebrated
(Cultivate DSO’s artistry/sound, build music education programs, articulate blueprint for financial viability, attract and retain outstanding artistic, volunteer and executive talent, capitalize on the DSO’s existing/emerging critical acclaim)
Goal No. 2: A Community Supported Orchestra
(Engage in activities that increase the value of the DSO to Detroit and community, grow DSO patron base, become patron-centric institution)
Goal No. 3: The most accessible orchestra on the planet
(Launch neighborhood series across suburban Detroit and reach a worldwide network through media, webcasts and other digital outlets)
Goal No. 4: Playing our part as a community gathering place sounding brightly from the Woodward Corridor
(Realize vision of the Max M. Fisher Music Center and optimize Orchestra Hall)
Each table met, discussed ideas regarding these goals and then presented those ideas to the group.
The meeting adjourned on schedule at 9:30 a.m.
This article first appeared in the 4th quarter 2011 edition of Keynote, the official publication of the Detroit Federation of Musicians. It is reprinted here with permission.
DSO Aftermath
by Doug Cornelsen
In an article last September 23rd titled Debt Threatens DSO Turnaround, Mark Stryker of the Detroit Free Press rehashed the problem of the flawed financing of “The Max,” the lavish 2003 addition to Orchestra Hall which has imposed an annual three-million dollar cost over-run on the DSO’s operating budget. Mr. Stryker’s article tendentiously presents “The Max” money problem – a consortium of five banks holding a $54 million loan on which DSO management has long defaulted – as a new hurdle facing the DSO organization. In reality, the overwhelming finance debts on “The Max” are at least eight years old. Nearly two years ago, this column pointed out that, in the face of their self-created debt, management appeared alarmingly willing to cut orchestra costs as a means of saving money, thereby risking artistic standards. In view of subsequent events, this Symphony Corner observation has assumed the understatement proportions of Noah saying, “It looks like rain.”
The 2010-11 DSO strike was terribly destructive artistically, a fact unmentioned in Mr. Strykers article. Taking severe hits in the strike-ending contract were not only salary but also the size of the orchestra and length of season. From a pre-strike contractually-required size of 95 musicians, the orchestra is now down to no more than 70. Auditions are planned this season to fill only several of these positions. (The world’s finest orchestras usually number slightly over 100 musicians.) The DSO’s historic 52-week season will be 40 weeks this contract year. The events surrounding the strike have caused some wonderful DSO musicians to leave for positions with 52-week orchestras — there are at least fifteen in America — and there has been a precipitous number of retirements. The supreme irony is that for several million dollars, a mere fraction of the cumulative budget loss on “The Max,” the contract could have been settled with no strike and no musical damage to the orchestra. When, during the strike, picketing DSO musicians chanted, “Built the Max, on our backs!” they were not kidding.
Michael Kaiser could be accurately called Dean of American Arts Managers. His stellar career rests on dramatic rescues of a number of arts organizations that were floundering when he took over. President of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. since 2001, last year Mr. Kaiser founded an Arts Management Institute to train arts administrators. A Kaiser precept for arts boards experiencing financial trouble is that they must not cut costs in a manner which damages their product nor their public reputation. This frequent mistake, he says, precipitates more of a downward spiral, making ticket sales and fund raising even more difficult. Mr. Kaiser also dislikes the tendency of arts boards to blame unions for their problems: “It is impossible to blame unions for the lack of revenue for arts organizations when so many are doing such a poor job of managing themselves.”
Seen from a Kaiser perspective, DSO management’s post-strike thinking, as described in Mr. Stryker’s article, is eye-brow-raising to say the least. DSO leaders, wrote Mr. Stryker, had three goals in mind as a means of “fixing the troubled finances for good…the musicians’ contract, the real estate debt and the endowment.” Management considers the musicians’ contract successfully completed, but is now concerned about their ability to successfully fund raise with a $54 million unpaid loan hanging over their heads. A Kaiser consultant might point out that six months of negative strike publicity culminating in a musically denigrative orchestra contract, followed up with a prominent news article trumpeting the DSO’s massive bank indebtedness, is not an optimal way for management to achieve their third goal, substantially rebuilding the sadly depleted endowment. It must also be mentioned (though Mr. Stryker doesn’t) that the DSO board’s reappointment of the manager who led the strike does nothing to inspire musician confidence in turnaround success.
In spite of the front office, however, the orchestra is back to work for the winter season and, with a little effort, it’s possible to take a glass-half-full approach to the post-strike DSO. As the old saying goes, it could be worse.* Even with many DSO musicians gone the orchestra sounds thoroughly professional, partially due to the excellent skills of the host of subs now on stage.** And there are few venues anywhere more sonically gratifying, for both performers and audience, than Orchestra Hall. So listeners at DSO concerts will predictably hear creditable performances.
For musicians, if — IF! — management can keep the post-strike contract going, Detroit will still have an orchestra which offers a livable wage. Though no longer upper echelon, it will remain an appealing opportunity for musicians direct from college or from smaller orchestras. Especially in these times of shrinking employment, musicians who join the DSO during the next several years will be happy to have a decent job and will not be embittered by pre-strike memories. For them, unpaid summers off, for example, will not represent management’s long-term failure to rebuild a quality summer season, but a time to play festivals elsewhere, or, with careful budgeting, to relax, travel, pursue hobbies — or practice for 52-week orchestra auditions.
And as far as that horrible Max debt is concerned, there is already a backstage rumor that the board is going to attempt some decisive action before year’s end. But glass-half-full or not, it’s impossible to feel very good about the DSO these days. To try to do that, we need to look farther into the future, when some of the DSO leaders, to use Mr. Stryker’s term, take actions which set the Detroit Symphony back on a road of significant recovery and finally recreate an organization of which all can be proud. Accompanying this vision of the future is Emily Dickinson’s famous poetic description of hope, which perches in the soul, and sings the song without the words, and never stops at all.
* It could have been worse indeed. Management’s most noxious proposals were deflected at the settlement negotiations by the DSO musicians negotiating committee along with Local 5 President Gordon Stump and Attorney Leonard Leibowitz.
** Some of the substitute musicians are Syracuse Symphony members, whose board of directors demolished their orchestra with a Chapter 7 bankruptcy last April.
On October 5, the DSO Governing Members were invited to a reception at the home of DSO Board Member and Volunteer Council President Janet Ankers and her husband Norm Ankers. SOS/DSO Governing Members Judy Doyle, David Assemany, David Kuziemko, and Cornelia Pokrzywa were in attendance. David Faulkner, Melissa McBrien and Denise Neville were not able to attend due to scheduling conflicts. When Denise called the DSO to decline the invitation, she was surprised to find out there was a wait list due to limited space. We hope that Governing Members meetings are as well attended as the parties.
So far there is nothing to report regarding Governing Members activity. The first meeting is on Thursday November 17th. We are looking forward to engaging in dialogue with the other Governing Members. At the meeting we will address the concerns and questions you have brought to us, and report back to you. SOS is prepared to participate fully once the Governing members have decided how to best support the DSO.
In the meantime, SOS continues to meet with DSO board members, management and staff, and musicians. As a result, SOS is developing a better understanding of the inner workings of the DSO as an organization.
Please stay tuned. SOS has faith in the DSO’s vision for the Governing members. We will report on future developments as they unfold.
Gratefully,
Your SOS/DSO Governing Members
Thanks to the wonderful generosity of our members, SOS has met its first fundraising goal. Your combined donations have allowed SOS to sponsor seven seats among the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s brand-new leadership group, the Governing Members.
We are eager to get to work with the other Governing Members in the “substantive, hands-on” way that is the DSO’s intention for this group.
As an SOS member, you are encouraged to give us your input, ideas and feedback so that we can take it to the DSO via this new group.
Come back to this page for information on Governing Member activities. We will post updates as soon as we have any information to share. You can still donate to support our effort. Remember, all donations will go directly to the DSO through SOS, giving our members a voice in the future of the orchestra.
DSO ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT MONTH
(DETROIT, November 1, 2011) — The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) has announced November, 2011 as its inaugural Community Support Month, which will kick off with the opening of the DSO’s Paradise Jazz Series on Thursday, Nov. 3. This effort marks the first concert-based fundraiser in DSO history.
As the DSO establishes its identity as a community-supported orchestra, Community Support Month is aimed at greatly expanding the Annual Fund donor base and providing each ticket buyer with more meaningful opportunities to make Annual Fund gifts to the DSO.
“I think everyone understands that ticket sales account for a smaller and smaller portion of our annual operating costs and the DSO’s vitality and sustainability relies heavily on the engaged support of individual members from our community,” said Anne Parsons, DSO president and CEO. “Investment in the DSO through participation in our Annual Fund validates that what we do for music, musicians and audiences alike truly matters. This regular support also helps keep the lights on and our education programs running throughout the year and for years to come.”
Concert goers can make a contribution via envelope, pledge card, by phone, or even by text from anywhere, including right from Orchestra Hall. Each donor will receive access to the Herman and Sharon Frankel Donor Lounge, on the evening of their gift and a parking voucher. November is the first of two Community Support Months this season. The second will take place in May, 2012.
Videos of board members, donors and Detroit moguls will open each concert during Community Support Month, with the featured patron explaining why they support the DSO and what role the organization plays in the future of Detroit.
Community Support Month festivities are scheduled the following concerts.
November 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27
December 2-4
May 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19
About the DSO
The internationally acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the fourth-oldest symphony orchestra in the United States, is known for trailblazing performances, visionary maestros, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and an unwavering commitment to Detroit. Esteemed conductor Leonard Slatkin, called “America’s Music Director” by the Los Angeles Times, became the 12th Music Director of the DSO during the 2008-09 season. The DSO offers a performance schedule that includes Classical, Pops, Jazz, Young People’s, Neighborhood concerts and festivals. The DSO makes its home in historic Orchestra Hall, one of America’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, and actively pursues a mission to impact and serve the community through music. For more information visit www.dso.org.
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These links are taken from, and will direct you to, the webpage of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Musicians. Check out their excellent webpage at http://www.detroitsymphonymusicians.org
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By Shannon Jones
10 October 2011
One year ago, on October 5, 2010, the musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) struck against massive concession demands, including a more than 30 percent pay cut and drastic changes in work rules. The strike ended in April of this year, with musicians forced to accept a large pay cut and other concessions.
DSO musicians picketing on the first day of the strike
On the anniversary of the walkout, this reporter and WSWS Arts Editor David Walsh interviewed DSO violinist Marian Tanau at Orchestra Hall in downtown Detroit. The Romanian-born musician, a member of the negotiating committee for the striking musicians, reflected on the strike and the current situation facing the orchestra.
The DSO strike took place under conditions of a general and ongoing attack on arts funding in the US and internationally. Faced with declining ticket sales and falling private and corporate donations orchestras and opera companies are continuing to impose deep cuts.
Since the end of the DSO strike, the world famous Philadelphia Orchestra has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and musicians at Colorado Symphony have been forced to accept an effective 14 percent pay cut in the face of a financial crisis at that orchestra. In June, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony agreed to a new three-year contract containing a 9.7 reduction in wages.
Meanwhile, management of the DSO seems determined to pursue the same reckless course that provoked the strike last year. In June, the DSO Board of Directors announced the renewal of the contract of DSO President Anne Parsons for three-years. The management team headed by Parsons spearheaded the attack on musicians. While demanding drastic cuts from the musicians, Parsons received some $400,000 in pay and expenses in 2009.
CLICK HERE to see the entire article and interview with DSO violinist Marian Tanau…
* Soundcard is valid for Classical, Pops, and Paradise Jazz Series concerts performed in Orchestra Hall. Membership is valid from October 8, 2011 – June 17, 2012. Tickets are issued up to two weeks prior to each concert. Cardbearer must present a valid student ID to will call attendant or usher upon arrival. The name on the student ID must match the name on the cardbearer’s account. Cards and tickets are non-transferrable. Admittance is subject to availability and seating is at the discretion of the Box Office.
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