“With the strike deep into Week 2, thousands of union writers are unemployed until further notice, and dozens of assistants, food stylists, electricians, makeup artists, landscapers and thousands of other ‘below the line’ workers in the industry are finding that their work is drying up, too, punching a psychic wound through large swaths of Los Angeles.”
Tag: 11.16.07
Largest Digital Orchestra Yet Has Its Debut
“Technology’s relentless advance has finally invaded the timeless world of the cello, bassoon and other orchestral instruments, with the debut of the largest digital orchestra in the world. Fifty music students at York University staged a hi-tech twist on the traditional symphony last night by sitting on a concert hall floor and playing nothing but laptop computers.”
Zukerman Bemoans The State Of His Art
Conductor/violinist Pinchas Zukerman is feeling gloomy about classical music’s future. “We’re really not doing anything cohesive… If it’s not synonymous with our existence, or at least 5 to 6 percent of the population, then society will become a jungle.”
Layoffs Coming To Finnish Opera
Finnish National Opera will reduce its staff by 54 through attrition and layoffs in order to fulfill a board mandate that it trim annual expenses by €2.8m. Despite good attendance numbers, the company has been struggling financially in recent seasons.
Injuries Mounting At Australian Opera
The Australia Opera & Ballet Orchestra is struggling through a long string of epic performances, and the workload is taking a toll on the health of the musicians. “So far this year 14 musicians have reported performance injuries, such as strained muscles and damaged hearing.”