The Well-Tempered Ear
The Madison Symphony Orchestra seeks matching funds as it launches a musicians’ relief fund to reach $355,000 by Nov. 5
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By Jacob Stockinger
The Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO, below in a photo by Peter Rodgers) has announced that a Musicians’ Relief Fund has been established with the goal of securing $355,000 to cover 100% of the orchestra payrolls for the canceled September through December 2020 subscription concerts.
This initiative is in addition to the compensation already provided to its musicians for canceled services from April 2020 to date.
To launch the fund, the MSO Board of Directors has committed current Symphony resources to guarantee 52% of the $355,000 total — $184,000 — and has informed the orchestra that the September and October orchestra payrolls will be paid in full.
MSO is seeking community support to help us raise another $171,000 to assure the orchestra’s compensation for the canceled November and December 2020 subscription concerts.
All contributions to this effort will directly support the musicians. An Anonymous Donor has launched the appeal with a $50,000 lead gift. The campaign seeks to raise the additional funds by Nov. 5, 2020.
All contributions to the MSO Musicians’ Relief Fund are tax-deductible and will be used for musicians’ compensation.
Donations can be mailed to the Madison Symphony Orchestra, 222 W. Washington Ave., Suite 460, Madison WI, 53703.
An online donation form is found at madisonsymphony.org/relief-gift.
To contribute gifts of appreciated stock or to discuss other options, contact Jeff Breisach, Manager of Individual Giving, at jbreisach@madisonsymphony.org.
“The 91 members of the Symphony are a core cultural asset of the greater Madison community,” said MSO Board President Ellsworth Brown (below). “We are committed to doing all we can to assist them through the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.”
“While some MSO musicians have other day jobs, many rely heavily on the wages they earn performing with this Symphony, as well as other orchestras and ensembles in the region,” said MSO Executive Director Rick Mackie (below). “The cancellations of services have caused stress and anxiety for our artists.”
The MSO has demonstrated support of its musicians since April of this year, compensating the orchestra for all canceled rehearsals and performances.
Generous donors, strong financial management and a federal Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Loan enabled the Symphony to pay 100% of the orchestra payrolls for the April and May subscription concerts, the spring youth education programs, HeartStrings®, Madison Opera and Overture Presents engagements, and Concert on the Green.
These unexpected paychecks provided relief to the MSO staff and to our musicians (below, with music director and conductor John DeMain in a photo by Peter Rodgers) were forthcoming with their individual appreciation.
HERE ARE SAMPLES OF THE MUSICIANS OF THE MADISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA EXPRESSING THEIR GRATITUDE FOR COMPENSATION RELIEF
“I am very grateful that our organization values the health of its musicians and patrons yet also understands the financial difficulty imposed on musicians by being unable to work due to the pandemic. The MSO is a gem of an organization, and if you haven’t heard it enough lately, please let me reiterate my gratitude.”
“WOW! I am humbled to be a part of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Thank you so much for valuing the musicians and honoring us with payment for cancelled rehearsals and performances. The news made me cry.”
“As someone who makes a living totally from teaching and playing, this has been an incredibly difficult time. I lost half of my students, because they do not want to study online, and of course, all gigs were cancelled. I am truly grateful to you for making this possible. You have no idea how much this will help not only financially, but mentally as well. THANK YOU!!!
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Classical music: The future looks brighter for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Madison Ballet, which just received $30,000 from the Madison Community Foundation to see if they should work jointly
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A REMINDER: Tonight at 8 p.m., Wisconsin Public Television will air a one-hour broadcast of the 50th anniversary concert in Overture Hall by the various groups in the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras.
For more information, here is a link:
By Jacob Stockinger
The Ear has received the following news release, which should interest a lot of local arts fans. Unfortunately, it contains some grant jargon. But the bottom line is clear: Both the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Madison Ballet will use the money see if and how they can share their resources and thereby become more secure, efficient and financially stable. You may recall that Madison Ballet had to abruptly cancel its past season when donations for its production of “Peter Pan” fell short:
The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Madison Ballet have been awarded a $30,000 Community Impact grant from Madison Community Foundation to explore an innovative and shared resource business model for the two organizations.
The award will fund a comprehensive feasibility study that will assess the resources of each organization and identify opportunities for efficiency and growth.
Madison Ballet and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, both well-established arts organizations, have long been providing world-class performances and creative programming in the community.
But as competition for non-profit funding increases, these two organizations are looking for creative business solutions to maintain excellence, support program growth, and ensure long-term sustainability.
“We are so pleased that Madison Community Foundation is supporting this project,” says Madison Ballet’s General Manager Gretchen Bourg. “All businesses—especially those in the non-profit sector—are realizing the need for new models for success and sustainability. This study is an exciting first step toward a truly innovative way of serving our community.”
The feasibility study represents Phase 1 of a larger project that could result in a business model in which the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Madison Ballet share key administrative functions, minimizing redundant costs and leveraging each organization’s unique strengths.
Each would retain the signature artistic and outreach programs for which they are known.
Mark Cantrell, CEO of the WCO says “This grant provides a wonderful opportunity to explore ways for our two organizations to come together to help build a better community.”
“I have worked together with Earle [Smith] for the past 16 years. We arrived in Madison within a year of each other and have always maintained an excellent artistic and working relationship,” says Andrew Sewell (below), music director of the WCO. “Our two organizations have performed together for their annual Nutcracker performances, as well as collaborated on special projects such as the Halloween concert, Concerts on the Square® and most recently the 10th anniversary concert of Overture Center. I’m excited to explore the benefits this unique arts organizational model may represent for both groups.”
Madison Ballet’s Artistic Director, W. Earle Smith (below), echoes support for the project: “I am very grateful to the Madison Community Foundation for this opportunity to find better ways to engage our audiences and support our artists.”
The boards of directors of Madison Ballet and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra expect to select a consulting firm to conduct the study by the end of May. Data from the study will be used to identify next steps in strategic planning for long-term sustainability.
The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, led by Maestro Andrew Sewell, is a vibrant and thriving professional orchestra dedicated to advancing Wisconsin communities through the transformative power of music.
The WCO performs for over 240,000 people per year, including Concerts on the Square (below)®, Masterworks, Holiday Pops, Handel’s Messiah, Youth Concerts, and other performances across the state. For more information, visit wcoconcerts.org.
Madison Ballet touches the lives of 50,000 individuals in the community each year through engaging outreach programs and unforgettable performances.
Its annual presentation of The Nutcracker remains an essential part of many families’ holiday traditions, and it has broken new ground with innovative productions like the original rock ballet, Dracula.
The School of Madison Ballet is one of the premier training academies in the Midwest, providing quality dance education for dancers of all ages. For more information, visit madisonballet.org.
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