Another music director returns to cheer frozen-out Minnesota musicians
mainIn the wake of the ever-loyal Stan Skrowacewski, Eiji Oue (music director, 1995-2002) will conduct a Nutcracker benefit for the locked out musicians of the late Minnesota Orchestra. Details below:
Up next: “Skrowaczewski Conducts Titans of the Romantic Era,” with pianist Lydia Artymiw, Nov. 14 and 15 at the Ted Mann. And then: “Eiji Oue Returns – A Tchaikovsky Spectacular!” with pianist Jon Kimura Parker, Dec. 14 and 15 at the Minneapolis Convention Center Auditorium. FMI and tickets for both are on the musicians’ website.
Everyone seems to appreciate the Minnesota Orchestra except its management and board…
Is that why they’re sitting at the negotiation table alone?
You’re right, A…the MOA walked out on negotiations.
Management wants no solution except the one they’ve scripted: the musicians demoralized and defeated, and grateful for the pettiness (called “generosity” by the MOA.)
It’s good to see the former MDs coming back to conduct. I suspect a number of conductors might be wary of doing so for fear that once the impasse is over, the MOA will never invite them to conduct. So those who have nothing to lose really need to step in. Would be nice to see some really big guns like Muti, Barenboim, or Maazel (to name just a few) turn up.
Conductors and guest soloists have nothing to fear. The MOA executive-level managers will no longer be in charge when this is all over (they may well be “laughed out of town” — see P.S. below), as they are no longer respected in the world of classical music. See, for example, these comments by the President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, Deborah F. Rutter — “it used to be that the Minnesota Orchestra was known as being one of the best managed” — and she goes on to say “it’s a matter of art, not finance”.
http://youtu.be/Y3aZAEUsU-s
P.S. At the concert last night, the audience was in stitches and applauded when a musician in her after-intermission speech said, “as you know, our overhead is quite low” — we all knew that she was referring to the orchestra CEO’s outrageous $200,000 bonus last fiscal year.
All the surviving conductors of the Minnesota Orchestra have displayed their support of the musicians and deep dismay at the actions of management.