Ontario’s Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony has suffered under controversy since dismissing its music director Martin Fischer-Dieskau earlier this year. But the fuss hasn’t damaged the orchestra financially. “The symphony had set itself a target of $1.28 million for the fiscal year that ended July 31. It has managed to raise $1.43 million.”
Tag: 08.10.04
Carnegie Hall’s Fresh Blood
Carnegie Hall is one of the world’s great concert halls. So everyone is wondering what London Symphony Orchestra manager Clive Gillinson – a “London orchestral musician, raised on grit and gruel, bring to this lavish, long-running party? Personal qualities apart – and Gillinson has been head-hunted, to my knowledge, by at least six of the top US musical institutions – he will add a dimension of difference, a whiff ofrenewal, which is exactly what is needed.”
Schwarzenegger Terminates Arts Funding Increase
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed an increase in his state’s arts budget. “Last year, state funding of the California Arts Council, a state agency that gives grants to local groups, fell from $17.5 million to $1 million. Last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used his line item veto power to take out what would have been a $1 million increase in arts funding by the Legislature, leaving the allocation at just over $1 million. The cuts have made the California Arts Council last in the United States in per capita funding.”
Your Brain On Work – Use It Or Lose It
“A mentally stimulating career may help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, research suggests. According to a study carried out in the United States, those who develop the debilitating form of dementia are more likely to have had jobs that do not tax the brain. The discovery lends weight to the ‘use it or lose it’ theory.”
More Pop – Now A Beach Boys Musical For Broadway
In the latest pop-music-comes-to-Broadway deal, a musical featuring songs by the Beach Boys – Surf’s up! “Good Vibrations,” a new musical using more than 30 Beach Boys songs – will open on Broadway in January.
Hollywood – Where “Indie” Is Just A Name
What, exactly qualifies a movie as an “indie” movie these days? Some indie movies have big stars. Some are being made by big Hollywood studios? “A good number of companies are doing more of these films with an individual voice and an indie feeling.” So what is indie in a fast-changing landscape?
Guillem Cancels Royal Ballet Season
Royal Ballet star Sylvie Guillem has cancelled her season at the Royal Opera House after suffering an ankle injury…
Unscripted? Get Real.
One of the attractions of the “reality TV” genre for programming executives and networks is the comparatively low cost of production. One of the biggest cost savings is that no writers need to be paid, since all the action is unscripted. Or is it? The union that represents Hollywood writers says that reality shows unquestionably “have scripts, called ‘paper cuts’ in the trade. Jokes are penned for hosts, banter for judges. Plot points and narrative arcs are developed. In some cases, lines are fed directly to contestants.” Not surprisingly, the union would like to see someone getting paid for this.
Pittsburgh Ballet Fills Vacancies From Within
“Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will have a wide-ranging new look next season. Artistic director Terrence Orr will increase the company’s size from 28 to 30 dancers, with six promotions from within. Ten new members will fill the corps de ballet and apprentice ranks to replace departing soloists.”
Columbus Negotiations Go Public
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra has joined the growing roster of orchestras for whom contract negotiations have become a public affair this summer. “Sunday’s [Columbus Dispatch] carried a half-page ad from the musicians asking the public to step in and make their voices heard… Last week, sky banners touted a new grassroots website. Now [the] new ad is asking people to write the symphony board and express their frustrations.” Talks between musicians and management at the CSO broke off earlier this summer.