US festival scraps its orchestra
NewsMessage from the Utah Festival:
Dear Utah Festival Family,
We are reaching out to share an important update regarding our upcoming 2025 season at Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre. As we continue to navigate the challenges facing the arts community, we’ve made the difficult decision to significantly scale back our summer season due to budgetary constraints.
Unfortunately, this means that we will be unable to hire the majority of our talented friends and collaborators for this next season. As you will see by our forthcoming season announcement, there will be no orchestra members hired in 2025. This decision was not made lightly; we value each and every member of our festival family and the artistry you bring to our community. Unfortunately at this time and because of the extreme circumstances we find UFOMT in, there really is no other option.
In light of these changes, we are focusing our efforts on enriching our educational programs and nurturing the next generation of artists and audiences. Our commitment to initiatives like OBC and the UHSMTA remains strong, and we will continue to offer workshops and partnerships with local schools and organizations.
To support these efforts and stabilize our finances, soon we are launching the “Imagine” campaign with the goal of raising $3 million by December 31, 2024. As you well know, Utah Festival is much more than just an arts organization; we are a vital part of our local economy and cultural landscape, contributing over $60 million annually.
We will be inviting our loyal supporters to consider increasing their donations during this pivotal time. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us achieve our goal and keeps our festival alive. This campaign is crucial for safeguarding our future and ensuring we can continue to bring the joy of the performing arts to our community.
We eagerly anticipate welcoming you back for our future seasons and want to express how much we value your contributions. Your talent and dedication are an essential part of our festival. Thank you for your understanding and unwavering support. Together, we can imagine a path forward and continue to celebrate the arts in Utah.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Michael and Vanessa
Call that family?
Utah seems to be abolishing everything that may have been worth a visit.
https://slippedisc.com/2024/07/john-williams-implores-utah-to-save-concert-hall/
On Abravanel Hall (in Salt Lake City, Utah) in particular, which is totally separate from Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre (based in Logan, Utah), your comment is way behind the news cycle.
And why bother to check the latest when you can more or less just criticize all of Utah to some extent..
https://kslnewsradio.com/2136255/mayor-wilson-confirms-future-of-abravanel-hall/
https://www.kuer.org/arts-culture-entertainment/2024-10-09/salt-lake-county-commits-to-abravanel-hall-thats-music-to-the-utah-symphonys-ear
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/northern-utah/salt-lake-county-council-formally-promises-to-preserve-abravanel-hall
Additionally, the photo chosen to depict Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre is one of the Utah Arts Festival (in June) in downtown Salt Lake City, a festival totally unrelated organizationally to either Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, or Utah Symphony and Utah Opera.
And as for the comment “Call that family?,” if the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre must cut costs drastically for at least one summer season to have a hope of long-term survival (absent an influx of large and small donations), then reducing the size of the orchestra, or even going one season with no orchestra or a minimal one at most must be considered or even implemented.
Family is also about not going deep into debt, if that in fact is part of the equation that Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre would likely confront absent an infusion of $3 million dollars by the end of the year.
Some of this is another way of also saying that “Call that family?” is close to being a throwaway and even a bit of a mean-spirited comment.
Thanks, just realized.
https://slippedisc.com/2024/07/john-williams-implores-utah-to-save-concert-hall/#comments/1072439
That is actually great news which must have slipped through.
Seems odd that this festival was not already part of the USUO season but I am on the other side of the country and no so up on thss news. However, I understand that that likely would RAISE the cost of the orchestra to the festival since they would need to pay the going rate as per that collective bargaining agreement for the orchestra and that is too bad.
What the heck is that photo? It certainly isn’t anything in Logan, Utah, or anything having to do with the Utah Festival Opera.
Training the future generation of artists, but reducing hiring opportunities for them?
Good thing there’s enough money for a new hockey team in SLC.
I worked in the orchestra at UFOMT for 10 years. This is a disgraceful way to treat the orchestra, many of whom travelled across the country to make very little money working in a cramped pit space. From the players perspective, it was a labor of love for Opera and Musical Theatre productions, the later using mostly original instrumentation that is rarely found in professional productions. In the 10 years I worked there the orchestra put up with living conditions that were akin to summer camp. In 10 years I accepted contracts that never increased to pay. – All because I loved the work we were doing, and my colleagues!
The administration has always run by the seat of the pants, waiting for manna to drop out of the sky. The fund raising for this shortfall should have happened years ago.
Can the Americans not write in English? This seems to have been written by an AI programme (experimental, circa 1987).
Boo! Hiss!