Thursday, April 10, 2008

Shreveport Symphony Orchestra funding crisis: Shreveportmusicians.org seeks people for Audience Association

Writes symphony musician Sally Horak Hundemer of the articles and comments in regards the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra's funding crisis, "One comment in particular has caught our attention and that is the one written 4-05-08 about the concert and how the question "to be or not.." could relate to the SSO situation right now. The writer, with his or her historical knowledge of the core's existence and importance, sounds to be a person we would certainly like to have on our Audience Association."

Want to help via supporting the musicians? Shreveportmusicians.org.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't say i'm too sympathetic towards the musicians of the Shreveport Symphony. There's only one person in the orchestra that takes direction from the conductor, the rest of them are glued to their damn score. Highly unprofessional. Wake up, guys. How much leverage do you really deserve?
However, first chair bass violin rocks.

Anonymous said...

It sounds to most concert goers, myself included, that the musicians of the Shreveport Symphony are perfectly in sync with Maestro Butterman, so they probably aren't all that "glued to their damn score". Moreover, the music I hear at these concerts sounds highly professional to me as well as to everyone else I know who attends these concerts. I hope to see these same musicians on stage next year, so I hope they can exercise all of the "leverage" necessary to make that happen. I will agree that the first chair bass violin is a fine musician.

Anonymous said...

I couldn't find much information about the audience group on the musician's website. Is its purpose to raise money to pay for the salaried musicians so that the core may remain intact? If that is the case, then they will be committing to around $450,000 per year.

I always thought that the outside fundraising group for the symphony was the Shreveport Symphony Guild. Does anyone know how much the guild gave to the symphony last year?

Anonymous said...

While it is not my place to speak for the Guild, I will share what I do know. The Guild supports three causes. They are the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, the Wideman Piano Competetion, and the Arklatex Youth Symphony (ALTYSO). I am president of ALTYO and I am ever grateful for the monetary and moral support which the Guilds provides for the young musicians in our orchestra.

Michael Scarlato

Anonymous said...

I think it goes without saying, that the first poster is full of it; we all know the musicians are very talented and committed people.

Anonymous said...

How do you sell something that no one wants to buy (at least in amounts sufficient to pay the bills)?