A personal loss
According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Columbus Symphony may be closing its doors:
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/05/08/picnic.html
The article begins:
- - - - - -
"After 57 years of music making, including a triumphant concert in New York's Carnegie Hall, the Columbus Symphony says it will shut down June 1.
Out of money and having failed to reach a new labor agreement with the musicians, the orchestra's board of trustees said today that it is canceling the summer Picnic With the Pops and Popcorn Pops series and most likely its 2008-09 season, scheduled to begin in October.
Columbus would become one of the nation's largest cities without a full-time professional orchestra."
- - - - - - -
Now, why does a Denver soprano care what happens to the Columbus Symphony? Flashback 20 years to a 10-year-old piano student in Grandview Heights, a suburb of Columbus. Her piano teacher hears that the Columbus Symphony Orchestra is creating a children's chorus and suggests that the young girl audition for it. The girl does (along with 500 other children) and becomes one of the 75 charter members of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra Children's Chorus. During the three years she sang with this first-rate ensemble, as she performed with the symphony orchestra and a handful of renowned conductors, she gained an appreciation for classical music, learned how to sing "correctly," and learned how to sightsing.
Minus the experiences she acquired in the CSOCC, odds are 50 to 1 she would not have majored in music and would therefore not be a music teacher and performing musician today. Anyone who knows me would consider music an integral part of my spirit - it's part of who I am - I am not ME without it. It should now be easy to see why the potential demise of the CSO is a great personal loss for me.
And it was only a couple of weeks ago, I was recalling these 20-year-old memories with the CSOCC here in my blog in response to similar new experiences. Remember?
I really hope the managers and musicians are able to reach a suitable agreement.
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/05/08/picnic.html
The article begins:
- - - - - -
"After 57 years of music making, including a triumphant concert in New York's Carnegie Hall, the Columbus Symphony says it will shut down June 1.
Out of money and having failed to reach a new labor agreement with the musicians, the orchestra's board of trustees said today that it is canceling the summer Picnic With the Pops and Popcorn Pops series and most likely its 2008-09 season, scheduled to begin in October.
Columbus would become one of the nation's largest cities without a full-time professional orchestra."
- - - - - - -
Now, why does a Denver soprano care what happens to the Columbus Symphony? Flashback 20 years to a 10-year-old piano student in Grandview Heights, a suburb of Columbus. Her piano teacher hears that the Columbus Symphony Orchestra is creating a children's chorus and suggests that the young girl audition for it. The girl does (along with 500 other children) and becomes one of the 75 charter members of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra Children's Chorus. During the three years she sang with this first-rate ensemble, as she performed with the symphony orchestra and a handful of renowned conductors, she gained an appreciation for classical music, learned how to sing "correctly," and learned how to sightsing.
Minus the experiences she acquired in the CSOCC, odds are 50 to 1 she would not have majored in music and would therefore not be a music teacher and performing musician today. Anyone who knows me would consider music an integral part of my spirit - it's part of who I am - I am not ME without it. It should now be easy to see why the potential demise of the CSO is a great personal loss for me.
And it was only a couple of weeks ago, I was recalling these 20-year-old memories with the CSOCC here in my blog in response to similar new experiences. Remember?
I really hope the managers and musicians are able to reach a suitable agreement.
Labels: Columbus Symphony Orchestra, reminiscing
posted by DenverSop @ 9:30 PM
2 Comments:
At 5/28/2008 3:05 PM,
Ward said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
At 5/28/2008 3:07 PM,
Ward said…
Interesting. I heard about the Columbus Symphony, because I was searching for bankrupt orchestras. It didn't occur to me until my own symphony (Everett) was in trouble. I guess it's been going on a while, but they have a serious cash flow problem. It's a gem of an orchestra for a small town, and I think they can manage it, but it sure is a rough go. There's lots of tension. I used to not care about such things, and be selfish with supporting the symphony, but now I get it much more. Losing either the Columbus or Everett Symphony would be a BIG loss.
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