SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY MUSICIANS

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2007-12-18T14:22:00.000-08:00

Since this blogger has been incredibly lax in publishing new posts, this current message will attempt to cover in photos the last several months of the seasons. Hope you enjoy!

October 2007

Conductor Giancarlo Guerrero

Pianist Alexey Koltakov

Conductor JoAnn Falletta

Resident Conductor Ken-David Masur

November 2007-The Nutcracker in the Municipal Auditorium

Hornist Jeff Garza in motion

Hornist Dave Brimhall and wife Stephanie Brimhall, clarinetist and Director of Education

Trombonist Mark Davidson and Bass Trombonist Michael Brown

This Week at the Symphony...

2007-09-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

Dvorak! Tchaikovsky! It's going to be an incredible concert series this week! The opening of the Classical Subscription Season begins on Friday, September 28th and Saturday, September 29th with the likes of internationally renown soloist Midori and conductor Michael Christie. Also, on Sunday, September 30th, new Resident Conductor Ken-David Masur will conduct his first performance with the symphony in the Interactive Family Concert.

So, hold on to your seat...it's going to be an exciting season!

Opening Weekend a Success!

2007-09-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

From the first Pops concert of the season to a special gala performance featuring Itzhak Perlman, the San Antonio Symphony enjoyed a successful opening weekend. Beginning with three performances of "Bernstein on Broadway," the symphony and Nina Bernstein (daughter of Bernstein) celebrated the life and genius of Leonard Bernstein and the 50th anniversary of his work West Side Story.

(Nina Bernstein at the Majestic)

Symphony, Musicians Reach Resolution

2007-08-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

The San Antonio Symphony and the orchestra musicians - the San Antonio Symphony Player's Association - concluded a new collective bargaining agreement today.

San Antonio Symphony chairman Ken Oleson and Brian Petkovich, chairman of the San Antonio Symphony Player's Association, jointly announced the new agreement.

The new agreement runs for four years, beginning September 1, 2007, and will increase musician compensation by an average of 4.6 percent each year over that period. The symphony's performance season will be extended to 27 weeks for 2007-08 and will increase one week per season, to a total of 30 weeks, by the end of the agreement.

In addition, under the terms of a new electronic media agreement, which is part of the overall contract, any Symphony concert can be broadcast on local radio up to four times, and any four Symphony concerts can be telecast on local television up to four times each.

"In partnership with the musicians," Oleson said, "the Symphony can be assured of moving forward with a financially sound and viable future. That has been the spirit of the negotiations, and that overriding viewpoint has enabled us to get the agreement done."

"The Orchestra Committee, which led the negotiations for the Symphony Player's Association, will unanimously recommend ratification of the agreement to our members," Petkovich said. "I would like to thank Ken Oleson for his steadfast commitment to the symphony over his nine years on the board, and especially throughout his tenure as chairman."

"We're looking forward to getting on stage and starting the new season on schedule," he said. "What was going to be a good year is now going to be a great year."

Oleson noted, "The symphony will finish the current fiscal year, which ends today, in the black financially - the third year in a row. All ticket sales and donations for the 2007-08 season were set aside in an escrow account so that we will begin the new season with money in the bank, something that very few symphony orchestras across the country can say."

"The new electronic media agreement," Petkovich said, "will make the orchestra more accessible to the community. The ability for multiple radio and television broadcasts of concerts can introduce the Symphony to a much wider audience and help us build a new group of future ticket-buyers and patrons."

The first Pops concert of the new season - "Bernstein on Broadway" - will be held Sept. 14-15 at 8:00 p.m. in the Majestic Theatre. It will also be repeated at 2:00 p.m. on Sept. 15 in the Majestic Theatre.

Renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman will join the Symphony for a special performance Sept. 16, at 7:00 p.m. in the Majestic Theatre.

The first classical concerts for 2007-08 will be held Sept. 28-29, featuring violinist Midori.

Informational Picketing!!

2007-08-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

All this week, San Antonio Symphony musicians can be found with picket signs that say "Support the Symphony Musicians" and "Stand with the Musicians" in front of the Majestic Theater. The musicians are not on strike, but they are exercising their right to freedom of speech to get their message out to the public.

This is informational picketing only and no one should cease work or deliveries. This began on Monday from 1:00-2:00pm; it continued on Tuesday from 9:30-11:30am, and today from 10:30am-3:00pm. Tomorrow, Thursday, August 30th, the musicians will be out again from 11:30am-3:00pm, and lastly on Friday from 1:00-3:00pm. TV and radio crews stop by periodically to take footage and ask questions, and of course, local San Antonionians and tourists alike ask questions and graciously take our handouts to read. Thanks to all who have shown us their support!! With a smile, a wave, a thumbs-up, a handshake, or a "honk, honk" from your car.

Labor Negotiations Update

2007-08-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

san antonio symphony players association
contactus@sasmusicians.org

By now, as a member of the San Antonio community, you have probably received or read about the Symphony management's lengthy justification of their negotiating positions. While obviously biased, it does hint at the willingness to try new things and create a stronger organization and a more integrated arts community. However management needs our input and industry knowledge to successfully innovate and implement change.

Since the bankruptcy four years ago the Symphony management has balanced its budgets and expanded our reach across South Texas. We know they are ready to achieve more and go further toward full recovery. But the proposals they have outlined, especially the re-introduction of the idea to cut thirteen jobs from the orchestra, go beyond overly cautious to regressive. Management has requested that we to continue negotiations and we are cautiously optimistic that they will show flexibility to reach an agreement.

The musicians were hit very hard by the bankruptcy. The players, after a fifteen-month layoff due to the bankruptcy, agreed to concessions that reduced our annual salary by 1/3! Our difficult sacrifice has helped the Symphony Society to pay its debts, restore donor confidence and end donor fatigue, while we have continued to provide our valuable service to the public at the same world-class standard we did prior to bankruptcy. After three seasons of bankruptcy-imposed hardship, the musicians – all of the musicians – need economic relief.

The musicians are keenly aware that the San Antonio Symphony is emerging from bankruptcy. Our proposals are reasonable and show that we are patient.

We are confident that the Symphony will continue to operate in the black and grow. The symphony is not a risky place to invest but rather a community asset that should be supported. Many people including the musicians, the board, and our supporters, are committed to a plan for the Symphony’s long term health. It is time the community, board, and management find a way to restore professional integrity to the musicians by offering us a contract that reflects the high quality standard that San Antonio expects from its professional orchestra.

As a point of comparison, we present this table of the seven largest cities in the United States in order of population size, and their symphony players’ base annual salary.

Comparison Chart of San Antonio and other largest cities

City (Rank by population)*	Musician Base Salary#
1. New York	$112,060
2. Los Angeles	$117,520
3. Chicago	$111,670
4. Houston	$70,805
5. Philadelphia	$114,400
6. Phoenix	$35,877
7. San Antonio	$26,000

*Population Date compiled from www.census.gov

# Salary & Budget date compiled from Wage Scales and Conditions of the Symphony Orchestra, 2006-2007

To further show why San Antonio has the ability to fully sustain a symphony, we present data concerning the rankings of the largest Metropolitan areas in the United States. Though San Antonio in this category drops to the ranking of 29^th, there are other cities ranked below San Antonio that have very prosperous symphony orchestras.

Comparison Chart of US Metropolitan Areas and Orchestras

Metropolitan Areas (Ranked from largest)	Musician Base Salary#
28. Kansas City, MO	$39,359
29. San Antonio, TX	$26,000
33. Indianapolis, IN	$72,800
38. Milwaukee, WI	$54,210
39. Nashville, TN	$42,183
40. Buffalo, NY	$40, 209
48. Salt Lake City, UT	$57,720
51. Raleigh-Cary, NC	$47, 236

What solutions have the musicians already found and proposed to management or agreed to?

1. Electronic Media Guarantee, which will greatly expand opportunities for broadcasting our concerts to the south Texas community

2. Facilitation of Outdoor concerts

3. Increased Open rehearsals

4. Deadlines for annual employment contracts

5. Increased flexibility in scheduling services

6. A memorandum of understanding that will allow a Pops concert to take place on an important religious holiday

How have negotiations gone?

The San Antonio Express-News Editorial page recently stated (8/24) that “the management has shown… a willingness to compromise in its negotiations with the musicians.”

There was no compromise from management for twelve weeks of negotiations. Management only offered its first monetary increase after we had already significantly reduced our proposed agreement several times. Their first movement came after twelve weeks of negotiations and the introduction of a federal mediator. It took them twelve weeks to show any willingness to negotiate with us.

The Editorial page also stated that “the sides have closed much of the gap.” That is not entirely true. The musicians have closed much of the gap.

After three months of dropping our demands well below our comfort zone in our effort to reach agreement, management finally offered its first small increase. We believe that the city of San Antonio deserves more opportunities to hear its great symphony, and we have proposed adding more weeks of work at essentially no increase in our weekly rate.

Should the orchestra consider a two tiered contract?

The ambition to build a Performing Arts Center must be paired with the ambition to grow the orchestra that will reside there and bring it to life. Since its inception the SAS has been a fully professional organization. There is no need to reduce it to a semi-professional orchestra.

A two tiered model would not attract top level talent, it would compromise the artistic level of our performances and it would discard loyal musicians who have served the San Antonio Symphony for decades. It would be a step backward, not a cautious step forward toward recovery.

Should the musicians consider contingency pay increases based on management’s effectiveness?

Marketing and Development are two of the chief tasks of management and we look for continued growth and improvement in these areas. While musicians are willing to help with these efforts, as we have been in the past, any benefit from increased production should go to further these efforts rather than pay a bonus to musicians who, no matter how much effort they expend in helping with marketing and development, do not and should not have direct control over these most important management functions.

We believe that our concerts are best presented by professional musicians of the highest training and caliber, and marketing/development are likewise best executed by professionals with training and experience in those fields.

Are musicians active in the community?

Playing in the SAS is the reason we have come to live in San Antonio. The Symphony anchors the musical community, and many other organizations benefit from our presence. These other activities enrich the whole community.

It is our responsibility to our art to teach, passing on our knowledge of music to the next generation of musicians and audiences. Each of us enjoys the opportunity to interact with young musicians and help them learn to express themselves through music.

Nevertheless, our primary responsibility is to present the highest quality artistic product in our concerts, and we need to be able to focus our efforts in this service to our employer. This is the logic behind paying musicians a salary in the first place - so that we have the time available to fully prepare for concerts, rather than scraping together a living doing whatever we can.

How much do we work? (What work are we paid for and what aren’t we paid for?)

Unlike employees in many other fields, we are not paid for all the time required to do our jobs but are only compensated for the time we are actually rehearsing or performing. Each program requires us to spend many additional hours preparing for the rehearsals independently, without pay. Just as a business person spends hours preparing for meetings, so we spend hours preparing for rehearsals.

Inflation adjusted annual salary

In every profession, employees rationally expect raises and cost of living adjustments. Our annual salary has shrunk especially when inflation is taken into consideration.

How does our weekly salary compare?

Management has argued that our weekly salary is quite high compared to other orchestras in our budget range and that we should not expect improvements because of that. While our weekly rate is competitive, the number of weeks we work is inadequate. Simple multiplication shows that there is no comparison between the compensation a musician earns in San Antonio and most peer orchestras.

2006-2007	Minimum Weekly Pay	Weeks Paid	Minimum Annual Salary (Weeks * Weekly Pay)
Nashville	$981	43	$42,183
Colorado	$1107	43	$47,601
Kansas City	$977	42	$41,034
Phoenix	$924	39	$36,036
Florida	$844	33	$27,852
Buffalo	$1076	39	$41,964
Louisville	$825	31	$25,575
San Antonio	$1000	26	$26,000

We have offered a freeze in the weekly rate to start the next contract in order to facilitate added weeks.

What does it cost to add a week to the season?

An added week of performances is also an added week of revenue through ticket sales for ticketed events and sponsorships for free events. The cost can be offset by the increased revenue and even exceeded.

How do we compare to other Texas Symphonies?

Management’s own chart shows that we are doing better with less than any peer Texas orchestra. The percentage of income derived from ticket sales is the highest of the four orchestras while we have the smallest budget, the shortest season and the smallest percentage of endowment income.

We are confident that the Symphony Society can grow its budget in the slow, steady and reasonable manner the musicians have proposed. It would be a very meaningful commitment to its employees who have sacrificed greatly for the organization and it would be a first step toward serving the San Antonio community in the way it deserves.

We have been patient. We continue to be patient. But we are not complacent. Management’s offers show a lack of interest in growing this organization. Our offers grow the organization at a rate that is achievable and sustainable. It is time to stop looking backward at the mistakes of the past and start making good decisions for a stronger San Antonio Symphony. It is time to gain momentum and move forward.

Brian Petkovich, Chairman SASPA

Emily Watkins Freudigman, 1^st Vice Chair

Amanda Stewart, 2^nd Vice Chair

Mary Ellen Goree, Secretary

Steve Zeserman, Treasurer

Write a Letter, Show your Support!

2007-06-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

The following is a press release from the San Antonio Symphony Players' Association.

Symphony Society Rejects
Musicians' Breakthrough Proposal
Five-Year Proposal would have secured unprecedented stability, security and labor peace

San Antonio, TX - June 16, 2007 -

The musicians of the San Antonio Symphony regretfully announce that the Symphony Society has rejected a breakthrough proposal for an unprecedented five-year labor agreement. This agreement was offered to the Society by the musicians' democratically elected negotiating team on June 12, 2007, after exhaustive review and consideration of the events of three months of negotiating. This proposal would have offered the Society the exceptional stability, security, and labor peace of a five-year contract, while allowing very conservative growth.

Since negotiations commenced in March, the parties have reached tentative agreement on a number of non-economic issues. On economics, the Society made a new offer on June 7. That offer represented the first and only time the Society has moved from its initial economic offer, except for repackaging the same basic amount of compensation offered. Meanwhile the musicians have progressively and repeatedly moved from their initial and subsequent offers in an effort to find common ground.

Whereas at one time the parties were $2 million apart over the course of a projected three-year agreement, that difference has been reduced by 90%, almost completely by motion from the musicians.

The musicians' negotiating team has reviewed the events of three months of bargaining and has reconsidered all issues and alternatives exhaustively. In both economics and non-economics, every element of the five-year proposal expressed not a mere preference, but an essential need.

The rejected proposal represented very steady and slow growth, an average 5.7% per year. It would have increased the season to 30 weeks by Year 4 (adding only one additional week per year). It would have also returned the size of the orchestra to its pre-bankruptcy complement of 77 by year 5. To achieve these two very important improvements, very minimal increases in weekly salary, health care allowances, pension and other benefits were proposed.

The musicians of the San Antonio Symphony agreed to remain here during bankruptcy reorganization on the faith that the Society would come through for them in the next contract. The Society's rejection of the musicians' very conservative and moderate proposal, which would have offered the organization stability and security for an unprecedented five years, demonstrates an unwillingness to accept partnership with its most precious resource, the talented professional musicians who serve this community so well.

On June 2, 2007, the Orchestra members voted to authorize a peaceable Union work stoppage upon expiration of the current contract if agreement on a satisfactory new contract is not reached. In the arena of labor-management relations, the peaceable withholding of labor is the only last recourse lawfully available to employees. The musicians do not seek and do not relish the prospect of a work stoppage. The current contract expires August 31, 2007.

The San Antonio Symphony is the city's resident professional orchestra. Our impact reaches far beyond our home at the Majestic Theater. We educate, inform, entertain and infuse our community with music of the highest quality.

Talent - Our musicians come from all over the world and have studied at the world's finest conservatories and universities. We also perform across the United States and around the globe - from Korea to South America to Europe and Israel.

Service - Our performance season includes great classical repertoire, pops concerts, free community concerts and educational concerts.

Regional Impact - We travel throughout South Texas to perform for the citizens of surrounding communities.

Mentorship - Our musicians offer private instruction to hundreds of students throughout the region. We are faculty members at every major area university and work privately with younger students, as well as volunteering support for area public school music programs.

Please help by writing a letter expressing your support of the musicians to:

David Green,
President & CEO
San Antonio Symphony
PO Box 658
San Antonio, TX 78293-0658
greend@sasymphony.org

Fresh off the Press!

2007-05-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

If you have attended a concert at the Majestic during the past 3 weeks, you may have been handed a pamphlet by a musician on your way into the theater. However, if you have not been able to make it downtown, the same pamphlets are posted below for your perusal. They are in jpeg format as this blog does not allow portable document format (pdf) inserts. Just click on the picture, and you will be able to read the document.

Of note, the document is presented in its "non-folded" version. Thus, the first page of the pamphlet is on the right hand side of the first jpeg. The order of the pamphlet's inner pages can be known by visualizing the two pages glued back to back. Presented below is the latest pamphlet that will be handed out at this weekend's performances (June 1st and 2nd), followed by the two jpegs of the pamphlet that was handed out at our previous Majestic concerts.

Latest Pamphlet...

First pamphlet...

Cinco de Mayo

2007-05-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

(Members of the Guadalupe Dance Company)
On Sunday, May 6th, the symphony presented a free concert at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center Theater located on 1300 Guadalupe on the South-side of San Antonio. The concert featured familiar tunes such as Malagueña, Andalucia, and Cielito lindo, and also music by Revueltas, Laindo, and Moncayo. Joining the symphony on several numbers, the Guadalupe Dance Company graced the audience with their incredible dancing.

A New Talent and an Old Friend

2007-05-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

(Conductor Xian Zhang in her dressing room at the Majestic)

(Soloist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg after her Saturday performance)
May 4th and 5th, the symphony was led by conductor Xian Zhang, the newly appointed Associate Conductor of the New York Philharmonic. Beginning the concert, the symphony performed a work by Chen Yi entitled Momentum. "In her preface to the score, Chen Yi describes the work’s meaning:

'The composition was inspired by the power of the ancient totems, the tension of the breathing lava (before it breaks up to flow), and the gesture of the exaggerated dancing lines in Chinese calligraphy. This energetic, dramatic and forceful calligraphy made such a deep impression on me that I wanted to translate it into music, as a metaphor for the flourish contemporary music is making in our society'."

(quote taken from Orpheus Music Prose & Craig Doolin at www.orpheusnotes.com)

Next on the program was Bach's Concerto in A minor for Violin and Orchestra, BWV 1041 and the Concerto in E Major for Violin and Orchestra, BWV 1042. Nadja performed superbly. Last on the program was Schumann's Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Major, the "Spring" Symphony. With great command and tangible energy, Xian led the orchestra in a moving performance of Schumann. Both evenings the audience so warmly gave Xian and the orchestra a standing ovation.

Backstage Humor: Sheriff Jeremy Moeller (trombonist) is laying down the law backstage.

Community Concert

2007-05-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, April 22nd, the Symphony presented a concert at the Jewish Community Center in honor of Israel's 59th Independence Day. David Cho led the orchestra in musical selections by Jewish composers. The concert began with the flashy American Salute by composer Morton Gould and followed with compositions by Bernstein, Offenbach, Copland, Mendelssohn, and Rodgers. Concluding the performance, the audience sang along to Hatikvah, the national anthem of the State of Israel.

Tito Puente, Jr.

2007-05-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

(Downstairs on the dressing room level at the Majestic, Tito Puente, Jr. with members of his band at intermission.)
Setting the stage for a swinging evening, the Symphony began this concert with a collage of music from Mexico, Spain, and Brazil. Songs such as Chiapanecas, Malagueña, España cani, and Tico Tico were played with a special flair. On the second half, Tito and his band were accompanied by the symphony. Continuing in the legacy of his father, the legendary "King of Latin Dance," he presented works such as Machito Forever, Dejame Sonar, Mambo Gozon, etc. Concluding the concert, a rousing rendition of Oye Como Va brought the audience to their feet.
Backstage Picture of the Week: The Low Brass Section!! From left to right, Amanda Stewart, Jeremy Moeller, Lee Hipp, and Larry Bird.

Larry and Lilya

2007-04-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

(Pictured above are Lilya Zilberstein and Larry Rachleff)
According to Mike Greenberg (San Antonio Express-News), Larry Rachleff and Lilya Zilberstein "knocked the socks off the audience and the orchestra" once again. Mike was certainly correct in writing that statement, as Larry and Lilya wowed both musician and listener. This weekend the symphony performed Respighi's Gli uccelli, Elgar's Enigma Variations, and accompanied Lilya in Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Both Friday and Saturday evenings, the concerts were superb.

It's amazing what can be accomplished over the course of only three days of rehearsal. When the orchestra first read through the concert program, it was not in the "superb" category. However, before the end of the first rehearsal, the stage was set for greatness to ensue. One may then wonder how superb concerts occur. Obviously, it takes talented musicians who are dedicated, disciplined, and determined to perform at the highest level of playing, as is the case with the San Antonio Symphony.

Besides this though, it takes a master craftsman to reveal the musical road map for each piece, to guide the musicians down this path and to instruct them to observe the many details along the way. This craftsman is the overseer of all that happens in a musical piece. Thus, this individual is of the greatest importance. Larry Rachleff completely fills this role, and then some. He has been and is a champion of musical excellence and musical expression. Each time he steps foot on the podium, he draws out the best of every musician and leads us from playing as individuals to harmoniously performing as a cohesive unit. The Friday and Saturday performances were proof of this fact. So, to answer the earlier question, it takes a great orchestra and a great conductor to achieve a "superb" performance.
Backstage Picture of the Week: The Heartbeat of the Orchestra! Percussionists Bill Patterson, Warren Johnson, Sherry Rubins, and Kari Klier.

Hopefully starting a new tradition, the photo below marks the first of its kind on this blog.
Backstage Humor: Charlie's Angels?? Violinist Aimee Toomes, Director of Orchestra Personnel Janni Toomes, and trombonist Amanda Stewart.

The Amazing Alban

2007-03-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

(Alban Gerhardt signing autographs at Intermission)
Last weekend, the Majestic Theater was graced by a virtuosic rendition of Saint-Saëns's Cello Concerto No. 1. Friday night, Mr. Gerhardt's performance could easily have been recorded directly to a CD with no need to edit. With great technical prowess and memorable phrasing, he brought the Concerto to life. Besides being an incredible talent, Mr. Gerhardt is also a pleasure with whom to work. After his performance on Saturday evening, he even joined us on stage for the second half of de Falla and Debussy.

Mr. Gerhardt also spoke favorably about us on his blog (http://www.albangerhardt.com/english/index.html). Gerhardt writes: "But I was truly impressed by the quality of the orchestra here. They played in the second half the Three-cornered-Hat by M. deFalla and La Mer (Debussy) - an incredibly perfect performance including passion and great colours. Conductor is Larry Rachleff, a name I’ve never heard before, normally a bad sign for a conductor in his fifties. But not this guy: good musician, and La Mer I haven’t heard that good in a very long time (very difficult piece)." The symphony sends a big "thank you" to Mr. Gerhardt for his kind words.

Pictured above are Mr. Gerhardt, and Principal Cellist Ken Fruedigman and his students.

Backstage Picture of the Week: Violinists Angela Caporale, Bonnie Warner, and Bassam Nashawati.

A Belated Bugs Entry

2007-03-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

"Bugs Bunny on Broadway" was a huge success. Conductor George Daugherty and crew made the week of performances a breeze for the orchestra. With concerts on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the symphony presented an event filled with laughs and great music. Though all ages can appreciate Mr. Bugs Bunny himself, the younger members of our audience could be heard enjoying the humor of that "wascally wabbit." It was truly a concert series the entire family could enjoy. This series also presented a new challenge to the musicians. Because the timing of the cartoons is unchangeable, each musician wore a headset to listen to a "click track." As long as we stayed with the metronome-like sound clicking away in our ears, the music would be in synchronization with the cartoon.
Below are a few pictures taken at the performances.
Principal Cellist, Ken Freudigman speaking with an audience member.

Backstage Picture of the Week: A very happy viola section! From left to right, Matt Diekman, Courtney Filner, David Filner (Director of Education), and Principal Violist Allyson Dawkins.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2007-03-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

(Laurie Auditorium in between Young People's Concerts)
The musicians of the San Antonio Symphony have been very busy this past week. The week began with Young People’s Concerts at Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium (six to be exact), followed by a concert at San Antonio College’s McAllister Auditorium, and ended with a side-by-side concert with the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio. Eight concerts over the span of six days kept the orchestra on their toes. This set of Young People’s concerts was the final set of the educational concerts for this season. Reaching thousands of San Antonio youth, the Young People’s series is just one of the many ways the musicians reach out to more than just the Majestic Theater audience.

While at San Antonio College, the symphony joined forces with the choirs of San Antonio College and East Central High School to perform a piece by local composer Alice Gomez. This event was entitled “Instruments of Peace,” and featured music inspired by the hope of world peace. Of note, the concert opened with John William’s Olympic Theme music of the 1988 Summer Games that were held in Seoul, South Korea. Tying this to the symphony, Resident Conductor David Cho, who is originally from South Korea, felt honored to present this music at such an event. And yesterday, wrapping up the week, the symphony performed Rossini’s William Tell Overture and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol with YOSA. With the stage packed with performers, it was an exciting concert to attend. As clearly seen from these events, the symphony truly does bring music to the community.

(Resident Conductor, David In-Jae Cho and cellist, Marilyn de Oliveira)

Straight up, With a Twist

2007-02-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

After last night's performance, a group of musicians and the conductor and soloist headed off to a special event held at Drink, a coffee and wine bar located at the corner of Navarro and Market Street in downtown San Antonio. It was the first of four events held specifically for young professionals. It is a way for the audience to meet musicians, conductors, and soloists in a casual environment only a few blocks away from the Majestic Theater. We hope that you will visit the symphony's website to check for the second of the four events. Here are a few pictures from the gathering. (Pictured from left to right: Sherry Rubins, Peter Rubins, Ken Freudigman, Emily Watkins, and Matt Diekman)

The second photo is of Ertan Torgul, Amanda Stewart, and Ilya Shterenberg. Ilya is pointing to his name tag because he switched tags with Stephanie Key...those crazy clarinetists.

In the third photo, Stephanie Key (notice the name tag) Alexander Mickelthwate, and Amanda Stewart strike a pose.

The last photo is of conductor Alexander Mickelthwate and pianist Awadagin Pratt (soloist on Friday and Saturday's concerts).

Magic, Magic and more Magic! Part II

2007-02-16T21:34:00.000-08:00

Sitting backstage or even on-stage during a magic show, one would think it feasible to gain insight into how the "magic" is really happening. Maybe seeing a secret door, a crafty use of mirrors, or the hidden logic behind the act, a person sitting on stage should be able to solve the magical mystery. Well, not so with this symphony musician. We have been spellbound by Lyn Dillies! Even those of us at the front of the orchestra with the best chance to spot the secret cannot. Through a rehearsal and our first concert, we can say the magic is truly that, magic. So, we challenge our regular audience and classical music fans to come down to the Majestic and attempt to solve this enigma. However, I presume that you too will leave the concert in true amazement.

Besides this aspect of the performance, it is remarkable to see a magic show coupled with live symphonic music. With the great music of Mozart, Rossini, Mussorgsky, Holst, etc. performed by the symphony, the brilliance of the lighting at the Majestic, and the showmanship of Lyn, the concert is a spectacular event to behold. Music and Magic, a great combination!

Magic, Magic and more Magic!

2007-02-16T21:18:00.000-08:00

This week at the symphony promises magical moments not to be missed. Lyn Dillies, illusionist extraordinaire, showcases her amazingly mysterious tricks while performing with the San Antonio Symphony. For more information about Lyn Dillies, visit her website at www.magicoflyn.com.