While doing some research to find out the events leading to the current states of the orchestras in Detroit and Louisville, I stumbled across some information about the Louisiana Philharmonic. Everything I read about it sounded great. They are “musician-owned and -operated,” plus the orchestra has been able to generate decent ticket sales. And the quality of the musicians, from what I hear, is quite good. What could be better?
But I recently had a conversation with a former member of the Louisiana Phil, and he argued that it wasn't all for the best. Because there is no collective bargaining through the union (they'd be bargaining against themselves, essentially), individual musicians pretty much have to trust that they will be justly compensated with benefits and salary. And considering the quality of the musicians in the orchestra, they are vastly underpaid. Consequently, many musicians join the orchestra for only a few seasons, moving away once they secure a better-paying job. However, the group is still in business, they sound great, and people are attending concerts. But is this really a feasible option for the long-term?
If anyone is looking for blogs to comment on at the last-minute, please share any thoughts you may have on the practicality of a musician-owned orchestra.
Here's an article about the Louisiana Phil from a local paper.
Image: http://www.lpomusic.com/
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