Two donors sue US orchestra

BP says:

First, they increased their numbers on the negotiating committee to take control back in 2020. In addition to 5 Orchestra Committee members, there were 4 other union board members. There were also a members in OC who are in bed with the union for work (like contracting gigs) so the OC was outnumbered.

Once our union took control, they did not have the orchestras best interest in mind and did not care about the opinions of their colleagues, but instead had their own personal vendetta and agenda against individuals on our management. Meetings often were/are filled with hate speeches and conspiracy theories about people on our board, who donated money to us.

They did not adhere to AFM rules. The orchestra is supposed to take anonymous surveys throughout the process, and the negotiating team (OC and Union) refused to do so despite numerous requests.

A majority of the members of the orchestra wanted to agree to their best and final offer which was a 3 yr contract for our full salary with growth but with the elimination or a few positions through attrition. The negotiating committee turned a deaf ear on their colleagues.

Now, concerts have terrible attendance despite Kahane coming. The biggest shame is the musical quality. This used to be a great orchestra, but so many great players left. Many on ‘sabbatical’ were not invited to come back and play this season. The subs have become members without a formal audition, and these are people who studied with SAS members in high school or went to UT San Antonio. Funding is down very much, and SA Phil has been unable to offer YPC children’s concerts to the musicians due to lack of funding.

There is a lot more, if anyone is interested.

Shame on Local 23 for destroying a great orchestra.

Guest says:

In the eyes of some in this orchestra, the union is incapable of fault. Any potential failings were brushed aside, and often blames redirected, whether it is to the city, the county, their former home venue of Tobin Center, or other organizations in town. They boast an incredible level of self-aggrandizement (constantly referring itself as a ‘world-class orchestra’), and outsized entitlement. They think the public (including funding from the city/county) should support them because they are predestined to any and all support.

It’s been a moot point whether if the board and administration of the former symphony were doing their job to fundraise. That horse has been dead for 3 years now. What there is to know is this: when you have a local union that is known to be difficult and incredibly abusive, no other entity will want to work with and support you— not the city, the county, the opera, the ballet, other corporate entities, and certainly not your former home venue which you picketed.

Most of the players from the former symphony who were capable of winning other jobs are long gone. This orchestra now has just over a quarter of players who played in the symphony. Today, the core of the orchestra is comprised of players who could never win a job elsewhere, or they don’t need the money, supplemented by their current and former students, and retirees who were brought back. Mr. Kahane has brought in some very capable players from out of town, but we all know a couple good musicians sprinkled in an ensemble cannot simply drag an entire orchestra even to mediocrity, and neither can a perfectly capable conductor in Mr. Kahane. And of course, this ‘import’ of out of town musicians has ruffled feathers of some of the established musicians in the current orchestra.

For better and worse, the current group in power (who all have been around since the days of the symphony) has kept a tight grip on the public perception. They are very aware and intentional about maintaining their positive media coverage, and they were successful until the recent debacle. Musicians either do not wish to speak ill of their ensemble, or fear of being exposed as a tattletale. To the public, they are both a 3-year-old and an 83-year-old orchestra, whichever is more convenient at the time of writing. The legacy of the symphony is claimed when convenient, and when fault comes they are given second chances as a “new” organization. Much of the city has had no comparison to what a good orchestra can and should sound like, so calling themselves world-class will fool some people. Even then, the recent, noticeable loss of audience might indicate that they are losing some of their most ardent of supporters. Most symphonies reside at the top of the pyramid of their respective cities’ performing arts activities. As a result, San Antonio became an arts desert, mostly isolated from meaningful artistic exchanges until the past few years. That’s why when another organization rose to challenge that status quo, censure and coercion began.

The tale of this particular ensemble (and the former symphony) is likely near its end. Those who have been around know none of these dramas are new, or even surprising. It is only now where its ugly head is rearing out in display for the world to watch.