New York Philharmonic cancels season because of coronavirus

The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, March 28, 2024


New York Philharmonic cancels season because of coronavirus
Jaap van Zweden leads the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall in New York, Dec. 5, 2019. The New York Philharmonic canceled the remainder of its season on Monday, March 23, 2020, bowing to the reality that the coronavirus pandemic will silence large-scale performances in the city for months to come. Karsten Moran/The New York Times.

by Zachary Woolfe



NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- The New York Philharmonic canceled the remainder of its season Monday, bowing to the reality that the coronavirus pandemic will silence large-scale performances in the city for months to come.

The orchestra said that it was anticipating a loss of roughly $10 million in revenue because of the decision, and that its endowment had declined by about 14% since the crisis began.

“There’s nothing I can compare this to,” Deborah Borda, the Philharmonic’s president and chief executive, said in an interview. “The human toll and the possible economic ramifications are simply stunning, and they’re simply not known yet. We don’t have a playbook for this. We’re inventing it as we go along.”

In canceling the season, which was to have run through the second week of June and included a European tour in the beginning of May, the Philharmonic said that its musicians’ health benefits would be maintained through the end of their current contract, in September.

But pay will be reduced in stages. The musicians will earn their full salaries through March, then receive the orchestra’s base pay (roughly $3,000 per week) in April and 75% of that amount (about $2,200 per week) in May. They and the Philharmonic will meet as conditions progress to determine compensation for June and beyond.

“We don’t know what this is going to look like,” said trombonist Colin Williams, the chairman of the musicians’ negotiating committee. “Everything changes every 12 hours. So we’re going to have to get together and reassess.”

“We’re all coming together in this unprecedented situation to make sure the institution is as insulated as possible,” he added. “But we’re very grateful for the leadership of Deborah Borda and the board that they’re trying to take care of the musicians.”

Borda said that the relatively small size of the orchestra made it possible to maintain wages, even if reduced — compared with far larger organizations like the Metropolitan Opera, which will not compensate its unionized orchestra, chorus and stagehands after this month, beyond health benefits.

“The orchestra is our family,” Borda said. “It’s 100 people. It’s a different situation than the Met, which has close to 1,000 union employees.”

She said the orchestra would be working this week on a plan to further reduce operating costs, including potential pay cuts for senior management and administrative staff. Asked about the possibility of administration layoffs, she said: “I have not finalized that plan yet. The Philharmonic will reopen, and we need to have staff to execute that and put up the fall season.”

She added that the orchestra would encourage patrons not to seek refunds for their tickets to canceled performances, which add up to about $1 million in revenue. The Philharmonic is also turning to the challenge of preserving sales for next season, which it said had been strong before the outbreak.

“We’ll do all right at fundraising,” Borda said. “Of course we’ll take some hits. But I’m more concerned about: Will people buy tickets for next fall?”

As part of their agreement with management, the musicians gave broad permission for the dissemination of archival recordings, which will be available through a new portal, NY Phil Plays On (nyphil.org/playson). And every Thursday evening, a past performance will be streamed on Facebook.

Borda was pessimistic about the fate of the Philharmonic’s outdoor concerts in city parks, scheduled for June, as well as its planned tour of China in the beginning of July, though neither has been canceled. More plausible, though still uncertain, are the orchestra’s performances at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival in Colorado, scheduled for late July.

The pandemic’s economic repercussions arrive at a delicate moment, as the Philharmonic and Lincoln Center proceed with long-delayed plans to renovate David Geffen Hall, the orchestra’s home. The project is expected to cost $550 million, of which nearly $200 million remains to be raised, and construction is scheduled to begin in May 2022. Borda said that meetings about the renovation had continued this month.

“We’re going to come through this,” she said. “I don’t see a doom-and-gloom future.”

© 2020 The New York Times Company










Today's News

March 25, 2020

'Wonderchicken' fossil from the age of dinosaurs reveals origin of modern birds

Gallery owner Paul Kasmin dies at age 60

'Marge Rector: Color and Non-objective Abstractions From 1970 to 2014' at David Richard Gallery

'Asterix' co-creator Albert Uderzo dies aged 92

Wolf Kahn, who painted vibrant landscapes, is dead at 92

Nailya Alexander Gallery opens the first exhibition in the U.S. devoted solely to Nomenklatura of Signs

Lévy Gorvy opens a survey of paintings by artist Tu Hongtao

The Met launches #CongressSaveCulture campaign to advocate for federal relief funds for cultural sector

American playwright Terrence McNally dies of coronavirus complications

Print Aid launches: A collaborative project to support artists during the COVID-19 pandemic

Michael Broadbent, who put wine on the auction block, dies at 92

The great empty

Christie's announces wine & spirits online sale

Joslyn Art Museum announces series of online engagement opportunities

Five photographers from Rotterdam commissioned to photograph the city during corona pandemic

Fee waivers, virtual art shows and online cooking lessons

A dance for the socially isolated

On April 11, Turner Auctions + Appraisals opens the door to the Nancy Glenn couture closet

Rare 1990s Apple Computer sneakers sell for nearly $10,000 at Heritage Auctions

KW Institute for Contemporary Art announces new curators

Afro-jazz star Manu Dibango dies after contracting coronavirus

National Portrait Gallery announces season two of its PORTRAITS podcast

Bringing a museum home

New York Philharmonic cancels season because of coronavirus

5 Amazing Men's Fashion Styles for 2020




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful