1/19 update: The Cleveland Orchestra reports that, while most residency events have been postponed at IU, the company's Music Director is in Bloomington working with students.
A long-planned residency by the Cleveland Orchestra at Indiana University Bloomington won't be happening this week, thanks to a walk-out by the famed company's musicians. The January 18-20 visit was to include a public concert, master classes, an orchestra management seminar and more. Here's what was planned.
Touring symphonies are rare these days--and such longer, educational residencies even rarer. Press materials from IU state that this would have been the first "world-renowned orchestra to visit Bloomington since 1991."
The loss is a big one for IU, although the New York Times reports that cancelled concerts at IU and elsewhere will be rescheduled.
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Lou said touring symphonies are rare these days - someone should tell Carmel this fact.
Apparently, the orchestra and its staff took a pay cut last year and the only ones not to were the musicians. The orchestra's management is seeking a one-year 5% reduction, yet the union is balking at the idea.
I think it will interesting to see how this plays out, particularly in a town hurt hard by the recession. I'm not sure the public will look too kindly to the situation. Not to mention, the NPR story revealed the average salary is in the low six-figures and that concert attendance has been decreasing.
As for Cleveland - where I live and write this from - the town hasn't been hurt as hard by the recession as one might think... there was no great boom here in recent years - so no real bust... Factory jobs left years ago. Healthcare (Cleveland Clinic) is booming like pretty much no other place in the US... just steps from the Orchestra's home. Plus, the Cleveland Orchestra still has a $100 million endowment... pretty big as things go... despite, as everywhere this past year, an attendance decrease.. They'll be fine.