Ohio Ping!
Posted on 05/09/2008 12:51:05 PM PDT by TonyRo76
Amid deficits, board shutting down orchestra on June 1; Pops canceled
After 57 years of music-making, including a triumphant concert in New York's Carnegie Hall, the Columbus Symphony says it will shut down June 1.
Out of money and unable to reach a new labor agreement with the musicians, the orchestra's board of trustees said yesterday that it is canceling the summer Picnic With the Pops and Popcorn Pops series and most likely its 2008-09 season, scheduled to begin in October.
Columbus would become one of the nation's largest cities without a full-time professional orchestra.
"It's a tragic event," said Karen A. Bell, dean of Ohio State University's College of the Arts. "It's going to diminish the cultural life and vibrancy of the whole region."
A statement from the board called the decision "the only financially responsible course we can take."
The drastic moves are being taken in light of three years of annual budget shortages and a projected deficit of as much as $3 million next year, it said.
Reaching a new agreement with the musicians union is the only way to salvage the symphony, said board President Robert "Buzz" Trafford.
As things stand, the orchestra's May 30 and 31 concerts with guest musician Marvin Hamlisch will be the final performances. After May 31, most of the office staff of 20 will be laid off and the musicians will no longer be paid, Trafford said.
The board decided to cancel the Picnic With the Pops series, which last year celebrated its 25th anniversary, because the outdoor concerts frequently lose money, Trafford said. The performances, popular with families, are held on the lawn of Chemical Abstracts Service.
"I am heartbroken," said Christine Mortine of Riverlea, a symphony lover and former conductor of the Columbus Bach Ensemble. "This strikes deep to my core."
Trafford said the orchestra has enough money to get through the Hamlisch concert but not beyond. The symphony will owe the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts $300,000 for use of the Ohio Theatre and other venues through May. Other bills are paid, he said.
A leader of the musicians union said he was saddened for the community but not surprised by the board's decision to suspend operations.
"Obviously, I'm very disappointed," said bassoonist Douglas J. Fisher, president of the local chapter of the union. "It's a terrible loss for the city and a terrible embarrassment."
Symphony managers and musicians are deadlocked over the future of the orchestra, with the debate centering on how large of an orchestra Columbus can support.
After years of deficits (including a $1.4 million shortage this year), symphony management in January proposed permanently cutting the budget from $12.5 million to $9.5 million, consistent with revenues over recent years. The board proposed curbing the number of full-time musicians from 53 to 31 and reducing the season from 46 to 34 weeks.
The musicians opposed that proposal and rejected another board offer to keep all musicians at reduced pay for a shorter season.
Trafford said he and other board members hope the shutdown is temporary.
"I remain optimistic that we will be able to reach an agreement with the musicians," he said. "I don't see this as the end of the Columbus Symphony."
Fisher doesn't expect the two sides to reach an agreement without outside help. The symphony managers rejected a request by musicians to submit to binding arbitration, he said.
"We need help from a third party, there's no question about that," he said.
The musicians are under contract through Aug. 31 and expect to be paid, Fisher said.
"They are responsible for paying us. If they don't, there are a number of legal actions that we could take."
David H. Thomas, the orchestra's principal clarinetist, said the musicians have tried to negotiate in good faith, even offering to take a 6.5 percent pay cut, but were rebuffed.
The impasse is taking a toll on everyone, he said.
"I've given a lot of my soul to play here."
jsheban@dispatch.com
But the two words that immediately come to mind above all else:
Union. Greed.
Bingo! Key words were ‘unable to reach an agreement with employees’. Well. They can now enjoy being out of a job/starving artists. Would you like fries with that ?
They had two options, let them fire people or take a pay cut, they chose neither so now no one will work this year. Good going union!
I wouldn't go so far as to call it greed, but the strike was ill advised as the Orchestra was not privately endowed.
>>>>unable to reach a new labor agreement with the musicians
BUFFOON Douglas J. Fisher!!! A Talented person needs a UNION???? Come on!! Idiocy.
You can add it up in most cases ~ part time musician at full time pay (per day/event) PLUS part time employment ~ e.g. teaching music, working at McDonalds, etc.
You can assign dollar values to all the possible situations. As it turns out the Columbus orchestra simply didn't have the resources for a full time orchestra with a full year's performance schedule.
The musicians know that ~ they'll go elsewhere. The orchestra management knew that too.
The city will instantly lose all their top musicians who are probably off interviewing with other regional orchestras.
[[ snicker! ]]
Even in large corporations there are personnel offices ~ that frees up your boss from ticky tacky stuff like your vacation time earned, etc.
Sometimes a "union" is just a bargaining agent, and in professional orchestras that's what they do.
Our future under Barak or Hilary - UNIONS GONE WILD!
Welcome to the Worker’s Paradise!
And the end of civilization.
Exactamundo! Unions are enablers of laziness and sub-par work. A truly talented individual would shun the collectivist mindset of a union, preferring to prove himself on merit.
Of course, Ohio is also a "closed-shop" state, so deeply have unions entrenched themselves here. Not sure whether those rules apply to musicians, but who knows?
Classical symphony may likely be doomed for two very good reasons.
The first is lack of context of their music. A large percentage of the music loving public only relate to music with which they have an emotional or intellectual connection.
Even a silly connection is a hook with which to appreciate the music. For example, cartoons and commercials can give even a slight context to music, and so classical music associated with them is far more popular than music that isn’t.
The other reason is more basic: hearing. By definition, 50% of people have below average hearing. Perhaps 20% of people have hearing so poor that they only enjoy percussion rhythm. This is one reason rock ‘n’ roll is so popular, the back beat.
It first became obvious with Hi-Fi recordings. So few people, mostly the young, cared for the very high quality sound that it could never become dominant. Even stereo sound was beyond most people.
Today, most audio is mush. Radio, TV and CD sound quality doesn’t give the sharp clarity of live performance or even vinyl records.
Who knows what a violin sounds like to the average person?
I love classical music, but if the city can’t pay for it, then they should just close it down, period. There is no right to a municipal orchestra. It’s a luxury, not a neccessity. The people only valued it at 9.5 million a year, and if the musicians refuse to accept that, then adios, head out to other cities and join their orchestras.
I wonder how long until someone suggests raising taxes for this?
That’s what happens when you choose that kind of career field. Don’t expect the taxpayers to constantly pick up your tab.
LOL! Baseball and football need unions like a toad needs a bicycle.
The Orchestra is on thin ice here we can barely afford them. I thought last year would be their last season but somehow they came up with some last minute money.
I'll be sad to see them go because I enjoy the orchestra but when they are gone it will not be because the city cannot support the orchestra it will be because the union makes them more expensive than they are worth.
I enjoy orchestra music as well. Let the free market decide, and get rid of unions.
And now I have Le Regiment de Sambre et Meuse stuck in my head.
The symphony was going to shut down on May 1, canceling performances with Yo Yo Ma and a season finale with Marvin Hamlisch.
A private citizen coughed up 2 million dollars to finish the season.
Marvin Hamlisch would normally never set foot in Ohio, except he married former channel 4 tv personality Terry Blair and they come to visit her parents. I also suspect Marvin comes to Columbus for free for the symphony.
Also, one of the two billionaires (McConnell) to call Columbus home, died last week. I suspect that there goes another million dollars from the budget because after the feds get through with the estate and I doubt the McConnell kids will be as philathopic as the old man.
The financial reality is probably even worse than the board or the musicians think.
The problem with Columbus is priorities. The Mayor wants to bring back street cars for millions of dollars. The big money boys get together to build hockey, baseball and soccer stadia. Nothing for culture or the arts.
My best memories of Mayor Coleman are his telephone chats with Glenn Beck. LOL. (But for them he'd be the Gub-nur now). LOL again
anything over 2 million is taxed at 45% by the feds and 7% by ohio or 52% for 2008.
The Nationwide hockey arena was built with 100% private money of McConnell. No public funds were used.
The other billionaire, Wexner, built the Wexner arts center at OSU and also Easton Mall.
remember, rich billionaires are good for a city.
If there's one thing you said that sends up a huge red flag for political purposes, it's that "Classical symphony may likely be doomed..."
To an effete, elitist, NPR-loving bureaucrat, that would be the ultimate excuse to pilfer more money from taxpayers to subsidize it!!!
Wouldn't want to actually let the free market serve the listening public's tastes, after all...
Amen! Free markets all the way. Thanks for the common sense.
» I wonder how long until someone suggests raising taxes for this?
I'm guessing it's already being talked about. Keeping a sharp eye out for such a suggestion—which no doubt the NPR crowd would jump all over...
Geez! The complete absence of anything resembling creativity or a desire for excellence in the union mindset is absolutely staggering!
That's why it surprised me that an orchestra or any performing-arts entity would be unionized in the first place.
Oh well... This is why I can't really muster a whole lot of symphony-sympathy here :Þ
ROFL! Ah yes, Mayor Manhood... 
I’ve always wondered why cities subsidize only snooty art forms, orchestras, ballets, and the like. Why don’t they have choirs or barbershop quartets, or...pole dancers ?
that's too bad, i listen to them on xm
Hiya Tony. You are correct. I remember them having trouble every so often. It’s too bad but you know if they can’t support themselves they must do what others must, quit and close up shop. I’m surprised the Ohio Theatre is still operating anyway. I hated going downtown in the evenings. I can’t imagine it’s any better than 4 years ago.
Shame on you Karl. Other? I dare say it's TBDBITL! Not to mention TBDBITL is about the ONLY thing I miss from Ohio, well, them and TonyRo76. ;-)
I wonder how long until someone suggests raising taxes for this?
++++++++++++++++
Once the tax cuts for the rich are reversed these tragic situations will disappear. Until then I think a fund should be set up immediately to bail orchestras out. Only government can solve this problem. /sarc
Actually, the arena was built by Nationwide Insurance. Real estate is usually a pretty good investment, so there was little risk.
Now Mr. Mac took a big risk. He wrote a personal check for $80 million to pay the franchise fee for the Blue Jackets. A huge risk in a traditionally non-hockey market.
God bless him. He did a ton for the people of Central Ohio.
Of course my basic question is, what-the-h#ll business government has supporting any arts organization. Especially one that can't compete in the free market...
This ain't Europe, where they have a centuries-old tradition of public arts patronage.
I'm with ya, Snippy! :)
And no, downtown's pretty much stayed the same if not a little worse. City Center is has gotten scary—like a big indoor ghetto!—and now the mayor has announced plans to take it over.
And to get to the Ohio Theatre, where do we motoring ex-urbanites usually like to park? City Center...
Yep! Still true no matter how many capitalist-hating, foul-smelling hippie radicals try to tell us otherwise.
Whoa!! Seriously? He is one of my all-times favorites. Nevermind the orchestra, I'd think it worth the price of admission just to see him!
>>remember, rich billionaires are good for a city.
You can say that again.
Bernie Marcus (former Home Depot CoB) gave Atlanta a world-class aquarium.
Arthur Blank (former Home Depot CEO) may yet bring us professional football. His / their QB choice pretty well messed that up, or we might have already had it.
Love the pups! Thanks.
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