Local and Industry News
Miami City Ballet has reduced its company by eight dancers, to 45 dancers. The Ballet, which recently eliminated live orchestra, is trying to reduce its budget by nearly a third, to $11 million, for next season.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster are in talks to merge. The merger would be subject to regulatory approval, as the merger would create a near-monopoly in music ticketing.
Recording
Sirius XM Satellite Radio may file for chapter 11 bankruptcy due to the credit crisis. The company, with $5 billion in assets and $3.5 billion in debt, relies heavily on borrowed funds to operate, and would be the second-largest company to file for bankruptcy protection this year.
Symphonic
Florida Grand Opera's Music Director, Stewart Robertson, will leave the company at the end of the season. FGO had previously announced that it would eliminate Robertson's position at the expiration of his contract in 2010. FGO will instead engage guest conductors to lead performances, and other artistic and musical duties will be assumed by CEO Robert Heuer and Director of Artistic Administration Michael Lonergan. FGO had previously eliminated the music director position after James Judd left the company and before Robertson was hired.
Over 150 orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Louisiana Philharmonic, and the Detroit Symphony, will participate in food drives in March in association with Feeding America. The food drives are in response to the April release of the movie, The Soloist, which is based on a true story about a Juilliard-trained cellist who becomes homeless.
In an effort to reduce expenses, the Texas Ballet Theater will dance to recorded music next season. The company had previously engaged the Fort Worth Symphony to accompany its performances.
The Kennedy Center is providing free emergency assistance, including advice on fund-raising, budgeting, and marketing, to nonprofit organizations across the country. The assistance will be provided through a website, http://www.artsincrisis.org .
Musicians of the Madison Symphony recently voted for union representation through AFM Local 166, and musicians of the Peoria Symphony will soon be voting for union representation through AFM Local 26. The Peoria musicians are organizing for unionization in response to the nonrenewal of music director David Commanday and over concern for job security.
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