Interchanging Idioms

There is more to orchestras balancing their books than just selling more tickets It is hardly news anymore to hear of an orchestra struggling to balance their budget. Atlanta musicians are locked out for the 2nd time in two years over contract negotiations - the musicians have been asked to take yet another pay cut. The Philadelphia Orchestra declared bankruptcy a couple of years ago. Colorado Symphony has been operating with a deficit for years. These are not isolated examples. When ever the news reports the demise of an orchestra, there are a half dozen articles that pop up to discussing what changes need to be made in order for orchestras to be profitable again: - raise ticket prices to cover costs - lower ticket prices to get more people into the concert hall - program new music - program old music - attract a younger audience - better leverage the existing audience (particularly the donor base) The list goes on and on, yet the real problem is: based on the  typ...

Denver Trumpeter and Composer Joshua Trinidad teamed up with New York photographer Chris Buck in efforts to release what is to be a groundbreaking album early this upcoming summer. Ten photographs captured by Chris Buck have been selected to inspire the music for the CD. Each piece is like a Soundtrack for the image. “BUCK”, is an album that takes the listener not only on a sonic journey, but is rooted in the beauty and artistry of each photo. Some of the photos for this collaborative project include Chris’s work with Bjork, Robert Kennedy Jr. and many others. For a trumpeter and photographer to work together in creating a project such as this, is beyond unique. Here is the promo video: Take a moment to visit both my website and Chris Buck's as well. www.joshuatrinidad.com and www.chrisbuck.com Here is the kickstarter page: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joshuatrinidad/joshua-trinidad-soundtracking-the-photography-of-c?ref=live Chris Buck (photographer) is a Canadi...

Kick Starter Campaign started to help fund the project Innova Recordings is planning on releasing a CD of my new works entitled Monuments Emerge (nearly 70 minutes of music composed between 2007 and 2011). This is not only a rare and wonderful opportunity for me but all the musicians involved as well. With the state of classical music today, not to mention new art music, this is not intended as a lucrative endeavor. This is purely from a let's get the music heard standpoint. Although Nick is a relatively unknown composer, this recording will help get his music to more listeners than he might otherwise reach. Even a single dollar will help tremendously! Please consider being a part of this meaningful project. Your contribution will not only nurture the growth of American New Music - which is an integral aspect for the progress of art, but it will also help promote the idea of cross pollination and the beauty which stems from combining different entities; a truly American idea...

Colorado Gives Day is a statewide initiative by the Community First Foundation to build individual giving in Colorado held each December 6th There is no limit to the amount people can give and some of what's donated will be matched. So, it's a great time to make that contribution for your favorite (currently struggling) arts organization(s). There is no limit to the contribution and you can give early by scheduling your donation. Go to GivingFirst.org where all the charities have already been pre-screened. There are search screens to guide you toward where you want to give your gift. Or, I've included some links below to some arts organizations that could really use your support this year. Opera Colorado Colorado Symphony Colorado Ballet Don't miss this chance to really make a difference to these organizations and your community by keeping arts alive!!!

Classical music and performing arts industry professionals will descend on Greenwich Village’s hallowed Bowlmor Lanes on Monday, September 19, for what promises to be an evening of great fun, embarrassment, and goodwill for Up Our Alley 13: Classical Action's Annual Benefit Bowling Bonanza . The event attracts scores of worker-bees from New York City’s music professionals, including arts presenters, service organizations, and management and publicity firms, who will try to keep their minds uncharacteristically out of the gutter and help Classical Action raise funds to fight AIDS and other critical illnesses. Since its inception in 1999, Up Our Alley has raised more than $1.2 million dollars for Classical Action and its parent organization, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. In the weeks leading up to the event, participants have worked hard to persuade friends, family, and non-participating colleagues to sponsor their once-a-year attempts at physical activity – all in the spirit...

Alice in Wonderland themes this season's signature extravaganza. Don’t be late for this very important date! Fall down the rabbit hole and spend a whimsical evening with Bravo this Saturday night at the 24th annual gala--Through the Looking Glass. Enjoy a night filled with cocktails, dinner, dancing, silent and live auctions, and a performance by the New York Philharmonic. The Gala is at the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens and begins at 5:00 pm with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction. Guests will then proceed to the New York Philharmonic concert at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater featuring Music Director Alan Gilbert and sensational violin soloist Augustin Hadelich. Programming includes Mozart’s Violin Concerto and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Immediately following the concert, guests will return to the gala tent for a seated dinner provided by Vail Catering Concepts, a live auction, and dancing to the music of The Nacho Men. All proceeds from the gala benefit Bravo’s Music ...

Five Cleveland corporations have pledged a total of $6 million to fund the launch of audience development programs which are part of The Cleveland Orchestra’s new Center for Future Audiences. Baker Hostetler, Eaton Corporation, Forest City Enterprises, KeyBank, and NACCO Industries have each pledged gifts of $1 million or more. The five corporations all have a lengthy and committed history of supporting The Cleveland Orchestra. The Orchestra’s new Center for Future Audiences, announced last year, is endowed by the Maltz Family Foundation. The Center is a multi-faceted and long-term audience development initiative with a $20 million lead gift from the Foundation. The Center’s ambitious goals include developing the youngest audience anywhere for a symphony orchestra by the time of The Cleveland Orchestra’s centennial in 2018. One of the Center’s flagship programs toward that goal is “Under 18 Free,” designed to make Blossom Festival concerts accessible and inexpensive for famili...

The first time the 1721 Strad violin, named 'Lady Blunt' was sold at auction, in 1971, it fetched 84,000 pounds. But yesterday, auctioned online by Tarsio, it broke the world record for a Strad violin by fetching 9.8 million pounds, or $15.9 million. The owner of the instrument was the Nippon Foundation, which bought it just three years ago for about $10 million.The new owner wishes to remain anonymous. Nippon will pass the full $16 million on to Northeastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund. The March 11 earthquake and tsunami left almost 23,000 dead or missing and destroyed more than 200,000 homes, according to a National Police Agency statement. The government has estimated the disaster's cost in damages to be as high as 25 trillion yen ($312 billion). For more on this violin read: Lady Blunt Reuning

The St. Louis Symphony Volunteer Association (SVA) launches its third season of Parties of Note. These imaginative themed events have grown to become the second largest fundraiser of the SVA and benefit the Symphony’s education and community programs. Several Symphony musicians are donating their time and talents for these events. The first opportunity to purchase reservations will be at the festive Pick a Party! Party, held at the Interior Design Center of St. Louis, 11660 Page Service Drive, St. Louis, MO, on June 28. Hosted in various locations throughout the region, from spas to vineyards to luxurious private homes, these events include: · It’s in the Cards—a friendly poker game with Symphony musicians at the home of Carolyn and Kevin Fancell · It’s a String Thing—a lesson about string instruments followed by a performance by Wendy Plank Rosen, at the home of Eileen Edelman · Sound Bites—chamber music with Scott Andrews, Melissa Brooks and Nina Ferrign...

New York cabaret singer Christina Bianco will headline Baltimore Choral Arts' A Ruby Cabaret fundraiser on Friday, April 1 at 7 pm at the Grand Lodge Ballroom in Hunt Valley. Benefitting Baltimore Choral Arts' education and outreach programs, A Ruby Cabaret also features Music Director Tom Hall leading members of the Chamber Chorus, dinner prepared by Chef's Expressions, and a silent and live auction featuring unique gifts, entertainment, dining and getaways. Described by Time Out New York as "a comic firecracker with a pyrotechnic voice," Christina Bianco is a regular fixture at New York City’s cabaret rooms and band venues. Frequently performing as a soloist for the Indianapolis Symphony in their show Mysterioso , Ms. Bianco also performs to sell-out crowds with the ‘New Orleans funk’ style band, Brother Joscephus, and is a lead female vocalist for the band Celebration with Jason-Craig Entertainment. Christina Bianco currently stars in the Off-Broadway show...

The Ritz-Carlton Residences will be the site of popular annual fundraiser featuring Maryland’s leading designers The Baltimore Symphony Associates (BSA) will host its 35th annual Decorators’ Show House, “Symphonic Suites,” at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Inner Harbor, Baltimore from May 7-30. The Decorators’ Show House is the BSA’s annual fundraiser to benefit the Baltimore Symphony’s educational programs. Typically located at a historic home in the Baltimore region, this year’s event bucks tradition and will take place in two luxury condos of The Ritz-Carlton Residences. Show House hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Monday, May 30th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and are available through the BSO Box office, BSOmusic.org and all Graul’s Markets, Budeke Paint Stores and Chas Spa and Salon on Key Highway. Tickets are $30 at the door. Guests may also purchase specialty goods a...

Motown legends The Temptations will bring down the house at 2011 Symphony Ball An extraordinary evening awaits Denver on Saturday, May 7 when the Colorado Symphony Ball welcomes one of the most popular vocal groups in music history, The Temptations. With The Temptations on-board, the Colorado Symphony Ball is redefining this unique fundraising evening. You can guarantee The Temptations will light up the night with their fabulous harmonies, unforgettable melodies, smooth-stepping, fine-tuned choreography and, of course, the famous Temptation Walk . The 2011 Ball will create a stirring atmosphere, bridging generations and musical genres, and reflecting the exhilarating array of concert experiences music lovers have come to love and expect from the Colorado Symphony. The 2011 Host Committee includes Symphony supporters Michael and Tauna Dowling, Kevin and Leanne Duncan, John and Carolee Hayes, Gary Lutz and Margaret Johnson, Heather and Mike Miller, and Willie and Sarah Shepherd. Julie...

Act on your love for Opera Colorado - help us meet the $200,000 Challenge! DONATE NOW Current generosity, $85,225 of the Challenge has already been matched. We only have $114,775 to raise before the end of 2010! The Board leadership, working with an anonymous donor, has made a $200,000 challenge to the Opera Colorado family. Any contribution made by December 31, 2010, will be matched by this extraordinary fund. Coloradans have a passion for opera and for Opera Colorado - they show it each time they attend a performance, participate in an event, or make a contribution. It is this support that will raise the curtain on our upcoming productions of Rusalka , based on the original story of The Little Mermaid , and spring's production of Cinderella , Rossini's classic with a few twists on the Brothers Grimm.

Bravo Receives National Endowment for the Arts, Access to Artistic Excellence Award The Bravo Vail Valley Music Festival was awarded $12,500 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) with a 2011 grant award: Access to Artistic Excellence. The grant will support Bravo's 2011 efforts to expand and diversify music opportunities and education programs including community outreach concerts, open rehearsals, public workshops, the Young Professionals-in-Residence, and the Music Matters education programs. This is Bravo's eighth year as a recipient of an award from the NEA. "We are honored to receive this level of recognition and support from the NEA," says John Giovando, executive director of the Bravo Festival. "This grant is an investment in Bravo and the Vail Valley as the funds will support our mission to foster family and community unity through increasing awareness and appreciation for classical music and the arts." A total of four Colorado Fest...

Two Performances In Honor of Judson with work by choreographers, composers and performers Toby Armour, Arthur Aviles, Remy Charlip, Malcolm Goldstein, Aileen Passloff, Yvonne Rainer, Carolee Schneemann, EmmaGrace Skove-Epes, and Elaine Summers will take place Friday and Saturday, October 29 and 30, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. at Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South, in New York City. Tickets are $20 (students/seniors $10) and can be purchased at www.judson.org or by calling 917-727-0431. The program (in process of finalization) will include: • Welcome, by Toby Armour • Dance for Corola (excerpt), choreography by Elaine Summers, music by Malcolm Goldstein • Sounding, by Malcolm Goldstein • Trio A (excerpt), choreography by and performed by Yvonne Rainer • Falling Dance, based on the drawings of Remy Charlip, interpreted by Arthur Aviles and Aileen Passloff • A Lesson in French, choreography by EmmaGrace Skove-Epes • Nocturne, choreography by Aileen Passloff • Lateral Splay...

At the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO) annual Gala Celebration on Saturday, September 11, PNC Greater Maryland Regional President and BSO Gala Chair Louis (Lou) R. Cestello announced from stage a $500,000 gift from PNC. This leadership gift will underwrite for three seasons the Orchestra’s outreach and access initiatives, including continued affordable ticket pricing, the Off the Cuff series, the Music Matters campaign, OrchKids and Midweek Education Concerts. In 2007, PNC provided leadership support of $1 million to launch the BSO’s landmark, multi-year ticket initiative that made all subscription seats available for just $25 beginning with the 2007-2008 season. This historic pricing structure resulted in a 17% increase in the total number of Baltimore subscribers and cemented the BSO’s commitment to accessible ticket pricing. PNC’s most recent grant enables the BSO to offer affordable tickets and reach new audiences in this and future seasons. BSO Music Director Marin Alsop’s ...

The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra announced today that it has received commitment of a $2 million endowment gift from the Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation. In recognition of this contribution, the SLSO will establish The Mabel Dorn Reeder Honorary Chair. The Chair will be awarded based on merit for a period of five years to a musician of the SLSO who demonstrates both excellence in artistry and leadership within the Orchestra and may be granted to any tenured orchestra member including those who already occupy a named chair. There will be a one-time $10,000 stipend awarded to the recipient at the start of their five-year term as the honoree, to be utilized for professional development. The award will be celebrated every five years. Mabel Purkerson, Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation Trustee, said: “Mabel Reeder, my godmother, loved the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and was extremely generous to it. We at the Foundation felt that we could both further her legacy and support the wonderf...

The Colorado Symphony announced that Tony Bennett will perform as the headline entertainment at the Colorado Symphony Ball on May 8, 2010 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, which takes place from 5:30 p.m. to midnight. Performing with his band and the Colorado Symphony, Tony Bennett will sing many of his greatest hits. The Colorado Symphony invites the community to join Ball Co-Chairs Hassan A. Salem of US Bank and his wife, Sheila Salem, as well as Honorary Chair Mayor Hickenlooper in supporting the Colorado Symphony at the 2010 Colorado Symphony Ball. Winner of 13 GRAMMY® Awards and the prestigious GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award, Tony Bennett moves the hearts and touches the souls of audiences throughout the world. As one of only a handful of artists to have new albums chart in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and into the new millennium, Tony Bennett has earned dozens of platinum and gold albums with worldwide record sales in the millions. Celebrated as an international trea...

The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra is partnering with the American Red Cross to provide urgently needed aid to victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. The SLSO will donate to the American Red Cross five percent of single ticket revenues from orchestral series concerts over the next two weekends. Also, Red Cross envelopes will be available at these concerts so people may make personal donations. For those unable to attend the SLSO concerts, they can also donate to the American Red Cross International Response Fund at Redcross.org, or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS. Mobile donors can text "Haiti" to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross. Friday, January 15, 2010 at 8pm Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 8pm Susanna Mälkki , conductor Ingrid Fliter , piano MAGNUS LINDBERG Parada RAVEL Piano Concerto in G major BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique __________________________________ Friday, January 22, 2010 at 8pm Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 8pm Sunday, Januar...

This weekend, the Concert for Samoa will take place at St Marylebone Parish Church, London W1 to help continue raise much needed funds for the Samoan Tsunami Appeal. In 2003 the National Youth Choir toured to the island, performing to the King of Samoa, and on national TV amongst other concerts in the region. Following the earthquake and tsunami that had such a devastating effect on the islands of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga last September, and in recognition of the support they received on tour, they have reunited to perform a concert in aid of relief efforts in the region. The Concert for Samoa will be performed by members of the re-united National Youth Choir of Great Britain of 2003 (NYC), who will perform a wide repertoire of classic choral music under the direction of NYC's renowned conductor, Mike Brewer. The concert is endorsed not only by the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, but also by the Samoan Embassy in Brussels and the Samoa Appeal of the Rugby Players...