Breaking: The state saves the Baltimore Symphony
mainThe Maryland legislature has just voted a $3.2 million grant to the orchestra. The musicians say it could help reverse plans to put them on a 40-week contract.
Unlike Chicago, the players cannot afford to strike. They are waiting for public and private benefactors to secure their jobs.
Today’s move looks promising.
Get serious! This strike is financially devastating to us all, and the management too.
At least there is something in Baltimore worth saving…
Hope things work out in Baltimore. It’s a city in need of good news and that orchestra is very good (as everyone knows).
Indeed!
And the 1st trumpet is the creator and director of the Future Symphony Institute, and an inspired musician on all levels:
http://www.futuresymphony.org
As I remember, this grant comes with the strings of a subcommittee that might look into the books and have some say on a “road to sustainability.” It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out.
The Maryland legislature is heavily Democrat, but the Governor, Larry Hogan is a Republican. Are they certain he will go along with this? It doesn’t sound like something a fiscal conservative would go along with. ..
Edit – I just checked the Cato Institute and see that Hogan only has a C rating in fiscal policy. I wonder if that a high percentage of Marylanders are that fond of the Symphony. Keep in mind that bailouts for failed organizations lead to the rise of the Tea Party.
The Baltimore Symphony is hardly General Motors, but on a more local scale I guess it could have a more local effect.
Tea Party? Where were they when $900 billion in TARP bailouts was given to banks.
Sad to see the Baltimore SO fallen on hard times. In the Comisiona days it was a very good band indeed. I always felt it was a tad underrated and certainly underrecorded.
It is still a very good band, perhaps even better than in Comissiona’s days. Somehow it has trouble finding its audience.
Perhaps it should be renamed as The Maryland Orchestra. Similar to what the Minnesota Orchestra did – it was initially named Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra.
It is an extremely good orchestra and with two venues to play, The Myerhoff in Baltimore and The Strathmore in the DC suburbs it is certainly more of a “Maryland” orchestra than just a Baltimore one. My wife and I attend concerts at both numerous times per year.
I seriously doubt that Hogan would veto this bill. It’s only 3 million in a 46 billion dollar budget. Maryland puts far more than that into its reserve fund each year.
It’ s a great orchestra with good connection with community. I wish orchestras in my country took these connections so seriously.