oboeinsight

Subways and busses aren’t running, so Broadway is dark (I’d love to be in NYC right now and stand in Times Square. Is it empty? Or close to it? Anyone know?

But of course it’s not only New York that has to hunker down. I just received this press release:

BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCE OF
BEETHOVEN’S NINTH SYMPHONY ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 28,
CANCELED DUE TO HURRICANE IRENE

TROPICAL STORM CAUSES FIRST CANCELATION IN BSO’S 75 YEARS AT TANGLEWOOD

ALL-BEETHOVEN CONCERT FEATURING ITZHAK PERLMAN AS BOTH CONDUCTOR AND SOLOIST WILL TAKE PLACE AS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED, TONIGHT, AT 8:30 P.M. IN THE KOUSSEVITZKY MUSIC SHED

TANGLEWOOD LABOR DAY WEEKEND JAZZ FESTIVAL AND WINE AND FOOD CLASSIC WILL TAKE PLACE AS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED, SEPTEMBER 1-4

Due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene on Sunday, August 28, Tanglewood has canceled the 2:30 pm Boston Symphony performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the BSO’s last concert of the 2011 Tanglewood season, and traditional season finale. This cancelation applies to all Tanglewood activities that were scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 28, including One Day University.

The all-Beethoven concert, featuring Itzhak Perlman as conductor and soloist, will go ahead as originally scheduled, tonight, at 8:30 p.m. in the Koussevitzky Music Shed. The Tanglewood Jazz Festival and Wine and Food Classic will take place as originally scheduled, September 1-4 (further information about these events is available at www.tanglewood.org).

To accommodate for the first concert cancelation in the BSO’s 75-year history at Tanglewood, substitute tickets will be offered to a future performance by the orchestra. For further information about these tickets, beginning on Monday, August 29, patrons can contact the BSO’s Customer Service office at 617-638-9395.

On Friday Governor Patrick issued a state of emergency for Massachusetts, citing the expectation that damaging winds, flooding rains, and a storm surge from the hurricane would debilitate the state. The Governor’s announcement, coupled with the town of Stockbridge’s decision to call a state of emergency and potentially close roadways, raised growing concerns for the safety of patrons attending the event, employees working the concert, and the BSO musicians on stage.

I normally don’t post anything but music on Sundays, but today is a special day, so I thought I’d break my little rule. So here is where I’m going.

Press Release

Wow … that’s a nice long time!

The San Diego Symphony and its musicians have reached an agreement on a new five year contract that provides the orchestra’s 80 players with wage increases of approximately 3.5 percent each year over the next five years.

“San Diego still has a way to go to achieve salaries more typical of ‘Tier One’ orchestras,” said Edward “Ward” Gill, the symphony’s executive director in a statement. “But we are pleased to record steady progress in the right direction.”

Orchestra members’ base pay in the contract that ended in June was $57,776. The new contract, which the orchestra voted to approve late Friday, raises that amount to $59,708 in the first year and $68,234 in 2015-2016, the contract’s final year.

By comparison, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra approved a contract in late June setting a $100,110 minimum for its 99 members. That number, however, represented a nearly 10 percent reduction in wages from the previous year, during which the orchestra reportedly suffered a $2 million deficit on a $31 million budget.

The troubled economy, a diversity of entertainment options, and other factors have forced orchestras in Syracuse, Honolulu and New Mexico to cease operations while the Philadelphia Orchestra declared bankruptcy and the Detroit Symphony was eviscerated by a six-month strike.

San Diego ended its 2010-11 100th anniversary season, budgeted at approximately $18 million, in the black.

RTWT

I do hope so!

Under the new name Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, the former musicians of the Honolulu Symphony intend to play the first concert of a new season in October, their artistic advisor said Tuesday.

JoAnn Falletta, in an appearance on Hawaii News Now Sunrise, said she was quite sure the orchestra would launch its season in October, she was working rapidly to put a season together.

“It’s very difficult especially since we’re putting together a season — we hope now — starting this fall, starting in October,” Falletta said.

When asked if there is a real chance for that, Falletta answered, “Absolutely, it’s going to happen. We’re going to start playing in October. So, you can imagine we’re about a year behind in planning, but we’re going to do it.”

RTWT

Well … not really … but it’s merging …

Almost 100 years after it was founded by a famous oboist named Georges Longy, Cambridge’s Longy School of Music announced Monday it is merging with Bard College, a liberal arts school in upstate New York.

RTWT

we are up against the wall. We are behind on votes. But we continue to hope ….

VOTE!!

Sal Pizarro has written again about the Facebook/Chase contest:

The last day of voting for Chase Community Giving’s Facebook competition is upon us, and Symphony Silicon Valley needs to make up a lot of ground to be one of the 25 nonprofit groups that’ll get grants.
Another South Bay organization, the Santa Clara Vanguard drum corps, is doing much better, sitting at No. 20 on Tuesday. Every Facebook user gets to vote for five groups, so you should throw some love their way, too.
The symphony, which won a $25,000 grant in the first round of voting, plans to put any money it receives in the contest toward ArtSpark — an ambitious plan to bring every third- through sixth-grade student in Santa Clara County to a professional arts event at no cost to schools or parents.
If that sounds like a good cause, you can vote on Facebook until 9 p.m. Wednesday (use the case-sensitive Web address bit.ly/CommunityGiving as a shortcut).

Thanks, Mr. Pizarro! Now … get out there and vote!

While Symphony Silicon Valley was voted in the top 100 for Chase Community Giving (Thank you voters! Thank you Chase!), we now enter into a tighter race, competing for the $500,000 grant for our arts education program.. Because of that I’m going to remind you daily until the voting stops. PLEASE, if you are on Facebook, vote for us. This is a worthy and worthwhile cause … taking the arts to all 4th through 6th grade students in our county! That’s the goal. I — and all involved with Symphony Silicon Valley — appreciate your votes! Let’s get the larger sum of money for this project!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

Wait, what are you doing reading this blog still? You really need to CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

Please bear with me: I will post this particular news every day until the voting period ends.