187:), and a decision to return its main subscription series to its former home, the Oakland Auditorium theater, now known as the Calvin Simmons Theatre. A month after announcing that expansion, orchestra management cut that season almost in half, citing financial crisis, and requested a 30% pay reduction from the orchestra musicians on the contract signed less than eight months earlier. Management and musicians did not reach a compromise. On 21 August 1986, management filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code, On 12 September 1986, musicians’ representatives and the management/board negotiating team held their only meeting to negotiate the issues. The musicians rejected management's position. Representatives of the Oakland Symphony Association board subsequently voted to file for liquidation of the association under Chapter 7 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code.
151:. Later declared a National Historic Landmark, the Paramount Theatre attracted audiences and the orchestra sold nearly all its house on subscription. However, even with such audience numbers, the Paramount proved to be a financial burden. The symphony association financed the renovation costs with a $ 1 million loan. In 1975, rather than continue absorbing the Paramount's operating losses, the symphony association transferred the theater to the City of Oakland for $ 1, in exchange for 40 years' free rent. To pay off the remaining renovation loan, the board converted its Ford Foundation grant funds originally earmarked for endowment into operating funds. In subsequent years, the orchestra spent those converted Ford Foundation matching funds, until their eventual depletion.
195:'Those negotiations were the culmination of years of unrealistic expectations on the part of the players and the Association managements and board members. For the board and management, there was the desire to be “major,” as a matter of civic and musical pride. For the players, too, there was the desire to be “major,” both in terms of earnings, and in professional comparison with their colleagues. These desires, however, obscured the extremely problematic realities of Oakland’s situation – its place in a secondary market competing with San Francisco; its chronic inability to generate sufficient increases in audience and ticket revenue; and its worsening financial crisis.'
168:
single ticket sales were in decline. In the 1985-1986 season, the musicians went on strike, leading to the cancellation of the season's
October 1985 opening. The strike was resolved in November 1985, where the settlement included significant increases in orchestra services and player earnings. Simultaneously, the board was undergoing a radical and controversial reorganization that alienated some long-time supporters and left the board structure chaotic.
120:. The Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra performed in schools and for community organizations, and regularly commissioned and premiered works, financed through volunteer activities. As well, the youth orchestra made five commercial recordings and toured internationally, and won a Silver Medal at the Herbert von Karajan Festival in Berlin. Samuel also oversaw the establishment of the Oakland Symphony Chorus.
136:
and campaigns to reach out to diverse ethnic populations. The latter included a 'Minority
Orchestral Fellowship Program', to offer young string players from non-white backgrounds opportunities to play one year with a professional orchestra. The programming under Farberman also reduced the number of contemporary works and increased the proportion of standard classical repertoire.
135:
became the orchestra's music director. Under
Farberman, the annual subscription series expanded from 24 to 33 concerts. The orchestra introduced a 'Pops' Series and concerts for young people, with educational programs in schools. The orchestra also undertook free concerts in public places
115:
In 1959, Gerhard Samuel became the orchestra's music director. During the 1960s, the home of the orchestra was the
Oakland Civic Auditorium (now the Kaiser Convention Center). During Samuel's tenure, the orchestra's season expanded from 8 to 24 concerts, and the orchestra developed a
217:
In 2015, the OEBS reverted to the orchestra's past name of the
Oakland Symphony. Morgan continued as the music director of the Oakland Symphony until his death in August 2021. During the final two decades of Morgan's tenure, the orchestra had not worked with any guest conductors,
190:
A retrospective analysis by
Melanie Beene, Patricia Mitchell, and Fenton Johnson investigated in detail the history of the orchestra that culminated in the 1986 bankruptcy declaration. One partial evaluation of the factors that culminated in the 1986 bankruptcy reads, with reference to the
167:
Richard
Buckley became the orchestra's music director in 1983. Under Buckley, the symphony continued expanding its season offerings, in the face of mounting debts and essentially stable audience figures. The Symphony received favorable reviews, though its subscription sales stayed flat and
107:
In 1933, the
Oakland Symphony Orchestra was formed under the leadership of conductor Orley See, who became its first music director. The orchestra presented four concerts in the lobby of the Oakland YMCA in its first season. See served as music director until his death in 1957.
127:
undertook a national programme of matching grants to selected
American cultural institutions for them to establish long-term financial stability through the building of endowment fund. From this programme, the Oakland Symphony was one of sixty-one American orchestras chosen for a matching
204:
After the bankruptcy and dissolution of the
Oakland Symphony, the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra and Oakland Symphony Chorus continued to function, retaining the orchestra's parent name in their own organisational names. In 1988, musicians from the past Oakland Symphony and the Oakland
225:
first guest-conducted the orchestra. He returned for additional guest conducting appearances in 2023 and 2024. In April 2024, the orchestra announced the appointment of Armstrong as its new music director, with immediate effect.
116:
national reputation in the United States for its programming and community work. In 1964, Samuel oversaw the creation of the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, with 75 student musicians under the leadership of composer
94:. Founded in 1933, the orchestra filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 1986. Musicians from the orchestra reorganised in 1988 as the Oakland East Bay Symphony (OEBS). The orchestra reverted to its original name in 2015.
163:
became artistic consultant to the orchestra for the 1982-1983 season. The orchestra was in a financially difficult point in its history, as debts were mounting, while attendance figures remained essentially stable.
158:
became the orchestra's music director as of the 1979-1980 season, the first African-American conductor named to the post. Simmons served as music director until his death in 1982. After Simmons' death,
638:
387:"Autopsy of an Orchestra: An Analysis of Factors Contributing to the Bankruptcy of the Oakland Symphony Orchestra Association (original independent study from 1988; digital version from 2012)"
298:
291:
284:
678:
606:
673:
413:
668:
658:
663:
506:
653:
148:
703:
688:
683:
140:
91:
698:
693:
171:
In the spring of 1986, the orchestra announced expansion to its largest season ever, with services added to its existing programs at the
205:
Symphony League (Oakland Symphony Guild) jointly formed a new orchestra, the Oakland East Bay Symphony (OEBS). The OEBS appointed
117:
428:
581:
556:
259:
206:
147:, who also served as board president. This 1973 restoration project later received an award in 1981 from the
531:
481:
452:
386:
222:
184:
40:
176:
407:
90:
is an American orchestra based in Oakland, California. The orchestra is resident at the
244:
144:
132:
607:"Why Oakland Symphony's new music director fits right in orchestra's groundbreaking legacy"
180:
160:
124:
54:
17:
507:"What's next for the Oakland Symphony after longtime conductor Michael Morgan's passing?"
250:
155:
647:
172:
109:
44:
128:
grant, of $ 1.35M USD, the largest grant available to orchestras of its size.
532:"Oakland Symphony celebrates its 90th anniversary, and soon, a permanent conductor"
139:
In 1972, the Oakland Symphony Association acquired and renovated the 2,998-seat
347:. "New Chamber Orchestra of Young, Elite Musicians," September 13, 1964, p. 39.
557:"Exclusive: Meet Kedrick Armstrong, the new Oakland Symphony music director"
64:
582:"Meet Kedrick Armstrong, Oakland Symphony's 29-Year-Old New Music Director"
209:
as its music director, and he took up the post as of the 1990-1991 season.
112:
was the orchestra's second music director, from 1957 to 1959.
356:
Shere, Charles. "Oakland Youth Orchestra conquers Italian cathedral,"
385:
M. Melanie Beene, Patricia A. Mitchell, and Fenton Johnson (1988).
633:
191:
final contract negotiations that failed to resolve the situation:
639:
1987 Study of the Bankruptcy of the Oakland Symphony Association
154:
Farberman stood down as music director in 1979.
318:
Commanday, Robert. "Youth Orchestra Plays New Work,"
265:
1990–2015 (music director, Oakland East Bay Symphony)
331:Hertelendy, Paul. "A Musical First for the South,"
70:
60:
50:
36:
29:
143:), with key donations from Steven Bechtel Jr. and
218:with Morgan serving as sole conductor.
8:
412:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
268:2015–2021 (music director, Oakland Symphony)
679:Organizations based in Oakland, California
475:
473:
26:
634:Official homepage of the Oakland Symphony
429:"Calvin Simmons, Oakland Symphony Leader"
149:National Trust for Historic Preservation
674:Musical groups from Oakland, California
482:"Oakland Symphony, Not Absent, Returns"
380:
378:
376:
374:
372:
370:
368:
366:
311:
92:Paramount Theatre (Oakland, California)
453:"Bankruptcy Relief Sought by Symphony"
405:
669:Musical groups disestablished in 1986
7:
659:1986 disestablishments in California
664:Musical groups established in 1933
25:
654:1933 establishments in California
580:Nastia Voynovskaya (2024-04-09).
301:Award for Adventurous Programming
294:Award for Adventurous Programming
287:Award for Adventurous Programming
273:Kedrick Armstrong (2024–present)
427:Edward A. Gargan (1982-08-24).
704:Orchestras based in California
689:Culture of Oakland, California
684:History of Oakland, California
555:Azucena Rasilla (2024-04-09).
530:Azucena Rasilla (2023-10-11).
505:Azucena Rasilla (2021-11-17).
1:
699:Disbanded American orchestras
605:Randy McMullen (2024-04-12).
486:San Francisco Classical Voice
694:American symphony orchestras
480:Janos Gereben (2015-08-17).
256:Richard Buckley (1983–1986)
720:
241:Gerhard Samuel (1959–1971)
31:Oakland Symphony Orchestra
18:Oakland Symphony Orchestra
238:Piero Bellugi (1958–1959)
394:Grantmakers in the Arts
345:San Francisco Chronicle
320:San Francisco Chronicle
76:1933–1986; 2015–present
611:San Jose Mercury News
586:San Jose Mercury News
235:Orley See (1933–1958)
185:Berkeley, California
41:Oakland, California
433:The New York Times
360:, August 24, 1980.
177:Moraga, California
65:Symphony Orchestra
457:Los Angeles Times
322:, April 11, 1967.
223:Kedrick Armstrong
141:Paramount Theatre
80:
79:
16:(Redirected from
711:
621:
620:
618:
617:
602:
596:
595:
593:
592:
577:
571:
570:
568:
567:
552:
546:
545:
543:
542:
527:
521:
520:
518:
517:
502:
496:
495:
493:
492:
477:
468:
467:
465:
464:
449:
443:
442:
440:
439:
424:
418:
417:
411:
403:
401:
400:
391:
382:
361:
354:
348:
342:
336:
335:, April 3, 1970.
329:
323:
316:
245:Harold Farberman
145:Edgar Kaiser Sr.
133:Harold Farberman
88:Oakland Symphony
73:
27:
21:
719:
718:
714:
713:
712:
710:
709:
708:
644:
643:
630:
625:
624:
615:
613:
604:
603:
599:
590:
588:
579:
578:
574:
565:
563:
561:The Oaklandside
554:
553:
549:
540:
538:
536:The Oaklandside
529:
528:
524:
515:
513:
511:The Oaklandside
504:
503:
499:
490:
488:
479:
478:
471:
462:
460:
451:
450:
446:
437:
435:
426:
425:
421:
404:
398:
396:
389:
384:
383:
364:
358:Oakland Tribune
355:
351:
343:
339:
333:Oakland Tribune
330:
326:
317:
313:
308:
280:
232:
230:Music directors
215:
202:
181:Zellerbach Hall
161:Leonard Slatkin
125:Ford Foundation
105:
100:
85:
83:
71:
32:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
717:
715:
707:
706:
701:
696:
691:
686:
681:
676:
671:
666:
661:
656:
646:
645:
642:
641:
636:
629:
628:External links
626:
623:
622:
597:
572:
547:
522:
497:
469:
444:
419:
362:
349:
337:
324:
310:
309:
307:
304:
303:
302:
295:
288:
279:
276:
275:
274:
271:
270:
269:
266:
260:Michael Morgan
257:
254:
251:Calvin Simmons
248:
242:
239:
236:
231:
228:
214:
211:
207:Michael Morgan
201:
198:
197:
196:
156:Calvin Simmons
104:
101:
99:
96:
82:Musical artist
81:
78:
77:
74:
68:
67:
62:
58:
57:
52:
48:
47:
38:
34:
33:
30:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
716:
705:
702:
700:
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
685:
682:
680:
677:
675:
672:
670:
667:
665:
662:
660:
657:
655:
652:
651:
649:
640:
637:
635:
632:
631:
627:
612:
608:
601:
598:
587:
583:
576:
573:
562:
558:
551:
548:
537:
533:
526:
523:
512:
508:
501:
498:
487:
483:
476:
474:
470:
458:
454:
448:
445:
434:
430:
423:
420:
415:
409:
395:
388:
381:
379:
377:
375:
373:
371:
369:
367:
363:
359:
353:
350:
346:
341:
338:
334:
328:
325:
321:
315:
312:
305:
300:
296:
293:
289:
286:
282:
281:
277:
272:
267:
264:
263:
261:
258:
255:
252:
249:
246:
243:
240:
237:
234:
233:
229:
227:
224:
219:
212:
210:
208:
199:
194:
193:
192:
188:
186:
182:
178:
174:
173:Rheem Theatre
169:
165:
162:
157:
152:
150:
146:
142:
137:
134:
129:
126:
123:In 1966, the
121:
119:
118:Robert Hughes
113:
111:
110:Piero Bellugi
102:
97:
95:
93:
89:
75:
69:
66:
63:
59:
56:
53:
49:
46:
42:
39:
35:
28:
19:
614:. Retrieved
610:
600:
589:. Retrieved
585:
575:
564:. Retrieved
560:
550:
539:. Retrieved
535:
525:
514:. Retrieved
510:
500:
489:. Retrieved
485:
461:. Retrieved
459:. 1986-08-26
456:
447:
436:. Retrieved
432:
422:
397:. Retrieved
393:
357:
352:
344:
340:
332:
327:
319:
314:
220:
216:
213:2015–present
203:
189:
170:
166:
153:
138:
130:
122:
114:
106:
87:
84:
72:Years active
253:(1979–1982)
247:(1971–1979)
648:Categories
616:2024-04-30
591:2024-04-30
566:2024-04-30
541:2024-04-30
516:2024-04-30
491:2024-04-30
463:2024-04-30
438:2024-04-30
399:2024-04-30
306:References
61:Occupation
221:In 2022,
200:1988–2015
131:In 1971,
103:1933-1986
55:Classical
408:cite web
98:History
278:Awards
179:) and
51:Genres
37:Origin
390:(PDF)
299:ASCAP
297:1982
292:ASCAP
290:1978
285:ASCAP
283:1977
414:link
86:The
45:USA
650::
609:.
584:.
559:.
534:.
509:.
484:.
472:^
455:.
431:.
410:}}
406:{{
392:.
365:^
262::
43:,
619:.
594:.
569:.
544:.
519:.
494:.
466:.
441:.
416:)
402:.
183:(
175:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.