This is all archived material from the old site which was not desired on the new site. Do with it as you see fit.
The Musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic are committed to forging new and better relationships with people in our community of Fort Wayne, Indiana. We the musicians want to get to know you by coming down from the stage and into your lives. Hopefully this website will give you a little insight into our world.
Our goal is to share many important facts, articles, dialogues, and links to resources in hopes of strengthening our relationship with the Fort Wayne area community, as well as with many others in our country.
Commitment
We are committed to the stewardship of our profession and to further the renewed enthusiasm for orchestral music which is being experienced across the country. We are also committed to the continuing education and inspiration of young musicians and to increasing community awareness of the benefits of orchestral music and the performing arts.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Who are the Musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic?
The Musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic hail from across the globe, including North America, South America, Asia and Europe. They began perfecting their playing skills at a young age, some starting as early as preschool. Many have studied at the world’s most distinguished music institutions, including The Curtis Institute of Music, The Cleveland Institute, Moscow State Conservatory, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, The Eastman School of Music and The University of Michigan. The Fort Wayne Philharmonic - with its national reputation as an elite orchestra that cultivates a unique type of connection with its audience members - has been the ultimate destination for its highly motivated and educated players.
Who pays for the musicians’ instruments?
Although the Fort Wayne Philharmonic owns a harp, some percussion instruments, and pianos all of the orchestra musicians are required to provide their own top-quality instruments for practicing and performance. String instruments are a monumental investment, ranging from $20,000 to $200,000 and beyond. Although wind and brass instruments generally cost less players must own multiple instruments to meet the requirements of the various repertoire demands. Some woodwind instruments must be replaced every three to five years. All instruments require costly regular maintenance, insurance and musicians continually upgrade to and invest in the best instruments available to assure that the Philharmonic can offer the best possible sound for its audience.
Why are the musicians in a union or association?
Before musicians joined together to become collective bargaining units as members of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), age, race and gender discrimination were prevalent in hiring and firing practices in orchestras. Professional orchestra musicians also experienced poor working and touring conditions which led to injuries. However, the collective efforts of the AFM, working in tandem with supportive boards and managements, have resulted in healthier and more fair organizations that can plan ahead with greater effectiveness and provide enhanced stability. Organizing has had a significant impact on security for the livelihoods of the musicians. Being organized and secure as professionals has allowed the quality of music to thrive and has fostered an environment of respect and good will between musicians, conductors, and managers.
Is preparation of the orchestral pieces the only practicing necessary for the individual musicians?
No. There is daily maintenance involved in playing musical instruments, and like any professional athlete musicians are required to be in top playing shape at all times. Their bodies must be trained to respond to the musical directions transmitted by the brain. This type of conditioning can require anywhere from thirty minutes to many hours of practicing every day. Most musicians seldom take more than one day completely off from their instruments at a time. The Fort Wayne Philharmonic's musician wages make it imperative that most of the musicians seek supplemental sources of income in order to meet basic every day life needs, thus making succeeding in this career path a much more challenging endeavor. Repetitive strain injuries, tendonitis, and other overuse problems are common and orchestral musicians must plan their practice time accordingly so as to prevent these issues from becoming career-threatening.
Will any of the music the Philharmonic musicians play be familiar? Do you have to study to understand it?
You might be surprised. Even if you don't listen to classical music, a lot of famous pieces will be familiar. You have heard them in movies, commercials, cartoons, or ringtones. We also like to perform a lot of music that is less familiar. There's a lot of good music out there, and it's rare for anyone to have heard all of the pieces we perform before.
There's no need to study beforehand to have an enjoyable concert experience, but if you're the type of person that likes to know what you're getting into, YouTube and Spotify are great resources for finding recordings. Some music is instantly accessible and some music takes more time. Think of it like a movie. The second time you watch it you're likely to notice things you missed the first time around.
There are program notes you can read at our concerts, and the musicians are always happy to answer questions as well. Feel free and comfortable to approach us before the concert, intermission or at the end of the concert. We also try to post information on our Facebook page leading up to the concert and there are excellent resources online where you can learn more. We guarantee it... once you hear us one time you will want to do it again. If there are pieces or songs you would like to hear us play please let us know and the musicians of the Philharmonic will try to perform them in the future. We are here for you, our audience, the most important part of who and what we are.
Does the Philharmonic offer educational concerts for young people?
Yes, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic musicians present educational concerts for young people in Fort Wayne and many near by communities that students and teachers look forward to every year. Unfortunately, with recent budget cuts on both the state and local levels, many education concerts have had to be cancelled. However, the FWP musicians are as passionate about education as they are about performing and are working hard to restore our continuing presence in the lives of young people. Many residents in Fort Wayne and surrounding communities remember attending a live, full Philharmonic orchestra concert in their youth and the impact it had on their lives. Many children, including some who have grown up to be FWP members themselves, began studying music and play instruments because of concerts like these.
What is it like to be a player?
Here are quotes from some of the musicians:
"I love that feeling of connection with the audience when the music just sweeps you away. It's a way of counter-balancing all of the bad things that are going on in the world today-providing some escape, some solace, some excitement"
"As a musician, nothing is more satisfying than to look out at a full house and see people actually experiencing the emotions that we have worked so hard to convey"
"Music is a form of emotional communication between people. When I perform, I feel like a heart-to-heart connection with the people in the audience"
Archived Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – MAY 14, 2016
PHILHARMONIC MUSICIANS PERFORM FINAL CONCERT OF THE SEASON STILL WITHOUT AGREEMENT
Contact - Campbell MacDonald
260-420-4446 – K581@hotmail.com
Musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic will perform tonight’s final concert of the 71st season still without an agreement.
The musicians, represented by the Fort Wayne Musicians Association, Local 58 of the American Federation of Musicians have been in bargaining sessions since their agreement expired December 31, 2014.
The musicians plan to leaflet before tonight’s performance to acknowledge appreciation for their loyal concert goers and supporters and to provide links to the musicians’ social media site for those interested in finding out more about the issues being faced at the bargaining table.
Prior to the 2013 season the musicians accepted a concessionary contract which reduced the core (full time) musicians season length from 40 weeks to 33 weeks. This amounted to a 17.5% reduction in wages, adjusting a section musician’s annual salary down from $27,221.60 to $22,457.82. A full time section musician earns $680.54 per week. The musicians accepted these wage cuts at a time when the Philharmonic was carrying a $2.5 million deficit. The deficit has been erased and the musicians seek a return of their lost weeks.
The Philharmonic has not been willing to commit, in a new agreement, to the restoration of weeks or replacing three core violin positions vacant since 2009.
Bargaining for a new agreement continues. The next meeting has not yet been scheduled.
Further information can be found on our website at www.fwpmusicians.com
“Like” us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MusiciansOfTheFortWaynePhilharmonic
Musician, Management Negotiating Teams Reach Tentative Agreement
Joint press release by the Players' Association and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra on November 22, 2013
Contact: Campbell MacDonald
Phone: 260-420-4446
Email: k581@hotmail.com
Contact: James Palermo
Phone: 260-481-0750
Email:
FORT WAYNE (November 22, 2013) – The negotiating teams for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra Inc. and the Fort Wayne Musicians Association, American Federation of Musicians Local 58 reached a tentative agreement late Thursday afternoon. The tentative agreement will be presented to both the musicians and Board of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic for ratification. Both sides will need to ratify the tentative agreement before it can be finalized.
Terms of the agreement will not be released until it has been ratified by both sides. Ratification votes are expected to take place over the next two weeks. Rehearsals and concerts will continue as scheduled under the terms of the expired agreement until the new contract is finalized.
Fort Wayne Philharmonic
Now performing its 70th season, The Fort Wayne Philharmonic’s mission is to inspire and foster a lifelong love of classical music through performance and education. The Phil is led by Music Director Andrew Constantine. The Phil is a member of the League of American Orchestras and a funded member of Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, the Indiana Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts. For additional information, log on to our website: www.fwphil.org
Musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra are represented by The Fort Wayne Musicians Association, Local 58 of the American Federation of Musicians. For additional information, log on to our website: www.fwpmusicians.com
PRESS RELEASE by Local 58, American Federation of Musicians on September 26, 2013
The Union Negotiating team for the musicians met with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic management for seven hours on Thursday and did not reach an agreement.
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Inc. proposed a reduction in work weeks from 40 weeks to 32 weeks. Currently, the annual salary is $27,221.60. This eight week cut reduces the annual base salary to $21,777.28. Under the Philharmonic’s proposal, employees will also be responsible for an additional $3,276 annually for family health insurance coverage.
“These cuts, if implemented, would profoundly undermine the fine musical ensemble that has been built by the efforts of many hands over the last forty years, and would leave the Philharmonic far less able to deliver to the community the services that it has come to know and value. The community would lose something precious and irreplaceable, and would be the poorer for it,” says Dennis Fick, Orchestra Negotiating Committee Chairman.
PRESS RELEASE by Local 58, American Federation of Musicians on September 25, 2013
PHILHARMONIC MUSICIANS VOTE STRIKE AUTHORITY
The Musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic have voted unanimously to give their bargaining team the authority to call a strike, if necessary.
The negotiating committees will reconvene on September 26th at 9:00am. The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Inc.’s current proposal would reduce the base salary from $27,221 to $16,408 and reduce the number of full time musicians from 44 to 27. This would significantly reduce the presence of the orchestra in the community.
Over the past 10 years, the Philharmonic has accumulated debts of $2.5 million and exhausted their credit among backers and financers. Since 2001, base pay for full-time Musicians has increased an average of about 2% per year! In the same period of time, the Philharmonic endowment has risen over 40%, to $14.5 million. Just last fall the Musicians offered the Philharmonic a series of concessions that would have saved the organization as much as $150K.
“All we asked was that the Philharmonic develop a plan for the future, and that they begin a public fund raising campaign. The Philharmonic Board of Directors responded that they did not think that they would be successful raising money at that time, as so they passed up the opportunity to receive a valuable gift from the Musicians. Even now, we have offered to help them eliminate the budget deficit. We have offered concessions that would save the Philharmonic $250K by cutting musicians income 12 ½%, and we have offered to join with them to raise money. We ask only that all employees and all departments join in the effort to save the Philharmonic by making equal sacrifice with the musicians,” says Union Negotiating Committee Chairman Dennis Fick.
PRESS RELEASE by Local 58, American Federation of Musicians on August 18 of 2013
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Players’ Association to Perform Benefit for The Rescue Mission
Fort Wayne, IN – The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Players’ Association is pleased to announce a concert to benefit The Rescue Mission Sunday September 15, at 4pm at the Foellinger Theater in Franke Park, Fort Wayne, IN.
The Rescue Mission, founded in 1903, is a faith-based, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, providing restorative care to men, women and children experiencing a homeless crisis. The Rescue Mission serves Fort Wayne, Allen County and its nine surrounding counties.
Organized by the musicians of the Players’ Association, the concert aptly titled “Mission Possible” will feature classics from the orchestral repertoire.
Through this free concert the Players' Association has set a goal to raise funds through sponsorship and free will donations to support The Rescue Mission. It takes approximately $8,000 per day to operate The Rescue Mission.
Campbell MacDonald, spokesperson for the Players’ Association remarks, “the members of the Philharmonic Players' Association are thrilled to present this benefit for an organization with such a remarkable history of service to our region."
Richard Cummins, Chief Development Officer of The Rescue Mission says, "The Rescue Mission is very thankful to The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Players’ Association for their generosity to and concern for men, women and children that face a homelessness crisis in our area."
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Players' Association is dedicated to providing cultural growth, economic health and quality of life to Fort Wayne and the surrounding area through the consistent performance of orchestral music at the highest level of excellence.
For more information about the benefit concert or to learn more about The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Players’ Association, please visit www.fwpmusicians.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MusiciansOfTheFortWaynePhilharmonic. Media inquiries can be made by contacting Campbell MacDonald at (260) 420-4446. The Rescue Mission can be found online at
www.therescuemission.net.
PRESS RELEASE by Local 58, American Federation of Musicians on May the 17 of 2013
Local 58 of the American Federation of Musicians and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, Inc. are currently engaged in labor negotiations. We are exploring solutions to the Philharmonic’s financial challenges that will continue the legacy of this fine professional orchestra that has been created for our community by many generations of community leaders, Philharmonic Board members, donors, managers, musicians and concert-goers. We believe that our discussions are best conducted outside of the public forum, and we hope to be able to share a positive outcome when our discussions are concluded. We are grateful to you, our friends and supporters, for all you do to make it possible to have this wonderful asset in our community