Posted on 05/02/2006 9:01:57 AM PDT by sitetest
With two more changes announced yesterday, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra concludes a turnover of upper management that began with the sudden resignation of President and Chief Executive Officer James Glicker in January.
Philip D. English, chairman of the board of directors, who played a major role in hiring Glicker and the BSO's next music director, Marin Alsop, will not stand for re-election in June after a single, three-year term. (His predecessor, Buddy Zamoiski, served 15 years as chairman).
Vice president and general manager Karen Swanson, who is responsible for day-to-day operations of the orchestra, has resigned effective June 30.
"I don't see any reason to think the two things are connected," English said.
W. Gar Richlin, the BSO's interim president, agreed, saying, "It's purely coincidental."
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...
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If you read the article, you'll see that the BSO just paid off a multi-million dollar debt by taking it out of their endowment.
These folks are struggling.
The Meyerhoff Symphony Hall is the finest venue I've ever attended for classical music and the BSO has always attracted the finest talent. I believe the BSO was in better shape when Zinman was with them and it seems as if they've struggled since he left. Even with this large debt payment they still maintain a wealthy endowment. Given the amount of their debt though, I would guess that support for the BSO is not what it was. If the BSO is facing financial difficulties, it is indeed a sad example of the challenges all our symphony's must be facing.
At least they got rid of Ozawa.
Dear Mase,
Although I live just a few miles south of Baltimore, in southern Anne Arundel County, I know little about the BSO.
I don't know whether their current financial difficulties are a result of mismanagement or are due to genuine economic difficulties from external circumstances.
sitetest
The Milwaukee Symphony also had some problems. Over a period of two years, they essentially dumped their entire high-level staffers and replaced them with cheaper ones.
They also went to a notably more "popular" programming scheme--heavy on Beethoven, Brahms, and the classical "Top 40"
Seems to be working, so far. But it's still a very fragile situation.
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