New Philharmonic Concert Cancellation

The New Phil's New Year's Eve concert was bitter sweet this year. The music was sweeter than ever under Kirk's direction, but it was bitter knowing that the last two concerts of the season would not go on. It is a difficult decision to cancel a concert and one I have only had to make a few times in my career. As theatre people the idea of "the show must go on" is engrained in our fiber; thus, not going on with the New Philharmonic season is hard to accept.

When we were presented with the reality of being away from our concert home for two seasons we asked ourselves how will we sustain the artistic momentum that New Philharmonic and Maestro Muspratt have been gaining. The orchestra has steadily been growing audience and ticket revenue over the last five years. And all would agree that the concerts are a delight to attend, so what effect would two years away from the MAC have? We were advised by some at the College to shutter the operation, that our audience would come back when we were ready for them. At the same time many of our fondest patrons were asking us where they would go for classical music through the Spring of 2014?

It roughly costs the orchestra on average $40,000 to produce each two evening concert concert cycle. The math is pretty simple, at the $32 average ticket price we need over 1,250 people to attend a concert. So when we made the decision to rent concert halls away from our own home and present a modified season (2 fewer concerts) we calculated that 80% of our current audience base would need to follow us. In reality only 40% did. When asked, and we called every subscriber, the reply we heard over and over was, "we love New Phil, we love Kirk, but venue x is too far to travel to in the winter. We'll see you next year when the MAC is back up and running."

Facing a 60% drop in ticket revenue, I made the only decision that seemed prudent. We cancelled the final two concerts of the season, Cosi fon tutte and Great Russians. We will end the season in the red and the College will have to cover our deficit. Something they have consistently done to one degree or another for the last decade.

Going forward is the next question. In the era of revenue neutral (see post from December 28) we will need to know that the dollars through the door, in the form of donations, ticket sales and sponsorships, can cover all the expenses of this fine orchestra. The College does not want to cover any deficit at the MAC with income from student tuition or tax revenues. This policy includes all MAC operations including the MAC Artist Series, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble and Schoolstage, our K-12 education program.

So the onus now is on you, our patron. If you enjoy the orchestra or value any of the offerings of the MAC let us know how you are willing to support your community performing arts center. Comment here or contact me (630) 942-3008 or cummins@cod.edu.

be well
Stephen

Joshua Roman - a phenom and kindred spirit

by Kirk Muspratt

In the past two weeks, in disparate places, I have found myself thinking about the phenom of Josh Roman.

I was in Peoria working with high school students in a district string festival … urging them to use the right part of their bow, asking them to consider the speed of the bow, the weight in their bow … asking them to change their bowings at times - to get that great crescendo .....
I watched them struggling with and conquering some of these complex challenges of playing a string instrument.

On the way home, I was thinking about them working so hard and them caring. They are in the middle of the middle of Illinois - not in Paris - not in downtown Boston - and they love the viola and they are enchanted with classical music.

I started thinking about Josh. He was from "the middle of the middle" of America. Oklahoma. In fact, he did not even have a cello teacher for the first 10 years of his studies. Indeed, he did take his cello to his lessons but he only had a violin teacher to teach him - his older brother and sisters' violin teacher. Therefore, his teacher would show him what he himself would do on the violin - and then little Joshua would turn it all backwards and figure out how to do it on the cello.
And - Josh "made it!"

Boy, did he make it!

Then, a week later, I was walking along Broadway in New York City, after having just judged the finals of the Concert Artists Guild competition. Such an amazing wealth of talent in these finals. A marimba player from Japan, a quartet from Britain, a pianist from Australia… And I would have voted for almost any of them to be the grand prize winner. They were all so wonderful.

Yet - only one of them would go home the winner and the other 12 finalists … Well, I worried more about them as they all richly deserved to be performing out in the world. I worried as I walked home, would they each "make it?" What could I do to help them?

As I walked along Broadway, I again started thinking about Joshua from Oklahoma, how hard he must have worked, what kind of gift God must have given him, how difficult it must have been for him to "make it" in a world now where every nation in the world is sending super artists to the stage.

I thought how much I admired him and how much I was looking forward to working again with this kindred spirit.

Joshua Roman performs with New Philharmonic and Kirk Muspratt on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 5 and 6 at 8 p.m.

Orchestra Feeds

Kudos to Kirk Muspratt and the New Philharmonic this past weekend. Besides playing a beautiful concert which featured a commissioned work for harp and orchestra by Doug Lofstrom, they also helped families in need. Through the Orchestras Feeding America campaign, New Philharmonic patrons donated more that 800 food items which will go to project partner People's Resource Center for distribution. I encourage you to check out the People's Resource Center if you are unfamiliar with the good work they do in our community and think of them year round. Thanks to our always generous patrons and to the New Phil for feeding our spirits.

be well
Stephen

Guest Blogger - Kirk Muspratt

What could be more classy, interesting, and in-touch than taking someone to a symphony concert? No matter whether you are taking your sweetheart, parent, child, sibling, neighbor, or BFF, inviting them to a concert of heart-pounding music is a complete winner of a choice.

AND – it’s TCHAIKOVSKY!! Yes, the same dude who wrote the 1812 cannon-blasting piece we love every 4^th of July and who also wrote “Romeo and Juliet” and “Sleeping Beauty”. He is the apotheosis of romantic composers. Yeah, there were the Mendelssohns before him - - but by the time he wrote his 5^th Symphony in 1888, they were longgggg gone and so very much has happened in the world, like two industrial revolutions.

What does that have to do with Tchaikovsky, you ask? By the 1870s men were working in huge factories getting wages, belong to unions, and thus they had a say in things; their opinions became important. Tchaikovsky’s audience that loved his music were no longer the rich land barons, but the common people of the new working class and their “Romantic” ideals.

I, myself, did not hear a piece of Tchaikovsky until I was about 16 years old, but, as a little boy, I liked him tons. Almost all of the children in my little town learned music history after school where we had to memorize lots of facts about the composers. Two of the facts I learned about Tchaikovsky were that he was born in a very tiny village at the base of a remote mountain in 1840, and later went away to the city and become a very famous musician. I thought, “I’m going to be just like that Tchaikovsky guy, eh?”

I also learned that Tchaikovsky was always very sad, struggling within himself, had secrets no one could know, and sadly, in the end, killed himself. This, plus the fact that there was a “phantom-type rich lady” who sent him large amounts of money, but refused to ever meet him; if I had known even a modicum of the meaning of the word “Romantic”, I would have thought him to be very much so.

So what could Tchaikovsky do for us ….this man so full of anguish and compelling melodies? I could answer the question this way: when the horn solo at the beginning of the slow movement of Tchaikovsky 5^th begins, you will feel yourself change inside. You will look over at the person that you brought to the concert and think about who they are and who they are to you; you will either smile or grasp their hand – or shed a tear.

You will! It is the eternal, soul –felt gift of the music of Tchaikovsky that will make this all happen; that miracle, that thing inexplicable.

In addition to Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, the concert will feature Doug Lofstrom’s world premiere “Concertino for Harp and Orchestra” performed by harpist, Kelsey Erdahl and Haydn, Symphony no. 88.

New Philharmonic Concerts on Friday and Saturday, March 5 and 6 at 8PM

Chicago Tonight Features Muspratt and Roman

WTTW Channel 11's Chicago Tonight will feature Maestro Kirk Muspratt and cellist Joshua Roman tonight, Wednesday, Oct 7 at 7PM. It will be a fantastic opportunity to get a preview of the amazing talent who will perform Shostakovich's Cello Concerto no. 1 with the New Philharmonic this Friday and Saturday evening at the MAC. The 25 year old phenom has received many accolades most recently being named Musical America's artist of the month for August. Tune in.

be well
Stephen

L'Elisir d'Amore - Sneak Peak

Elixir of Love is a favorite of mine ever since I worked on a production of it during my grad work at U of I. It is the perfect summer opera and Michael LaTour and Kirk Muspratt really put on a good show. Here is a sneak peak of the DuPage Opera Theatre production that opens July 18 (Elixir - YouTube) and features MAC favorites Michelle Areyzaga (Adina) and John Sumners (Nemorino) along with a chorus of dozens.

be well
Stephen