The Shreveport Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is based in Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish and the largest city in north Louisiana. The SSO performs most of its concerts in the newly renovated RiverView Theater (formerly Shreveport Civic Theater).RiverView Theater renovations: more bathrooms for all and much more. Shreveport Times, 27 March 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2019.Shreveport Symphony Orchestra's 2019-2020 season celebrates 'home'. Shreveport Times, 11 September 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019. Founded in 1948, the symphony remains the longest continually performing professional orchestra in Louisiana.
The SSO belongs to the Louisiana Association of Symphony Orchestras (LASO) which was formed in August, 2003. LASO consists of all seven professional orchestras in Louisiana. The mission of the LASO is to promote and facilitate the interchange of ideas, advocate for the support of orchestras in the state, and coordinate collaborative projects in music education and other areas of mutual interest.Louisiana Association Of Symphony Orchestras. Tax-Exempt Organizations. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
History
Early years to 2003
Since its founding in 1948, the Shreveport Symphony OrchestraOfficial Shreveport Symphony Orchestra Website (SSO) has become Louisiana's oldest continually operating professional orchestra and one of the most respected regional orchestras in the United States. Presenting more than 200 concerts each season, over half of which are free educational events, the orchestra performs music of various genres, including classical and popular.
The SSO was formed by a handful of interested local citizens with founding music director, John ShenautMaestro John ShenautShreveport Symphony Orchestra founder John Shenaut diesShreveport Symphony Orchestra - News Release, 3 December 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2011. and it experienced tremendous growth until his retirement in 1981. After three years under Principal Conductor Paul Strauss followed by interim music director Marjorie Deutsch, the SSO selected Peter Leonard as its second music director and conductor in 1984, who remained with the Shreveport Symphony until 1996. Dennis Simons was selected as the SSO’s third music director and served from 1996 until 2003.
Under the stewardship of Leonard, and then Simons, the orchestra continued to grow as a cohesive unit, in relative stability, despite the effect of the oil bust during the 1980s on Shreveport's economy. However, into the new millennium, the orchestra's solvency was in a precarious state, as the core musicians risked being placed in a "per service" status, instead of receiving an annual guaranteed wage.Shreveport On, San Jose Off (August, 2002)
New conductor for Shreveport (2004 to Sept. 2008) An international search for the orchestra's fourth music director began in the summer of 2003 and culminated with five finalists conducting the SSO during the 2004–2005 season. In August 2005, Maestro Michael Butterman was appointed the fourth music director in the orchestra's 58-year history. Prior to his appointment, Butterman divided his time between Florida, New Mexico and New York where he served as the associate conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, music director of Opera Southwest, and principal conductor for education and outreach of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2007, he was named music director of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra as well. Kermit Poling, SSO Concertmaster for over 20 years, served as the interim music director/Resident Conductor during the 3 year transition period.
During the 2005–2006 season the orchestra presented eight Master Series concerts featuring various locally and nationally known soloists, a series of five Spotlight concerts (three with a chamber ensemble and two with a chamber orchestra—highlighting SSO musicians), In-School "Informances" (concerts with commentary) in elementary schools throughout the region, dozens of free Random Acts of Music, a free Picnic Pops concert in the spring with the Ark-La-Tex Youth Symphony and the annual free People's Concert, featuring local singers, narrators and gospel choirs. The year 2007–'08 was notable for being the SSO's 60th season, and the opening concert on September 15, 2007, was a memorable event, as the program shared a couple of selections with the first concert performed in November, 1948.Trudeau on Shreveport, a Blue Hole of the arts and crafts- Aug. 31, 2007Chuck Richardson (Instructor) of Texarkana College- Sept. 15, 2007.
Musicians' strike (Oct. 2008 to Nov. 2009)
In October 2008 a musicians' strike nearly terminated its operation. All performances of the orchestra musicians under the auspices of the SSO were cancelled for the 2008–'09 season, and for part of the season 2009–'10. Prior to this strike, the SSO had annually presented more than two hundred concerts, the majority of which were free educational events.
The strike of the Shreveport Symphony musicians began in October 2008. Negotiations had begun in mid-2007, and since that time the orchestra musicians were playing without a contract, in expectation of a new bargaining agreement by the beginning of the 2008–'09 season.Musicians unanimously reject management's latest offer. Archived version for August 28, 2008, www.shreveportmusicians.org – from the Wayback Machine. All performances of the orchestra musicians under the auspices of the SSO were cancelled for the 2008–'09 season, and for part of the season 2009–'10.
By March 2008, the symphony board's position had already spilled over to the SSO's own website, a tremendous gaffe for any organization.Shreveport Symphony – A Tangled Web… One such submission in the form of a press release was entitled Shreveport Symphony Orchestra Invites Musicians and Community To Embrace Board's Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility. List of SSO Press Releases from March 14 to April 10, 2008 Trying to promote one side of any labor dispute on the one page that is the face of the orchestra to the public is foolish and self-destructive, since it provides no reassurance to concertgoers that the organization stands a chance of surviving. The public should not be made to take sides in an issue that does not concern them. They are merely the audience, not the arbitrators. The audience may even turn against the management for such crude tactics, as was shown in the case of the Philadelphia Orchestra's dispute in 2004.A Tangled Web Indeed.
An editorial from The Times [Shreveport] in late March, 2008 summarized the critical situation at that time with respect to the financial status of the SSO.Times editorial calls for board finance disclosures on the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra musicians' pay struggle
The strike of orchestra musicians was necessitated by the refusal of the board of directors to compromise with the musicians' union on matters of salary and job security, issues not new to the symphony, as it had already weathered a nine-week strike during the 1996–'97 season, which culminated in a collective bargaining agreement on March 11, 1997.
The drastic budget cut that was narrowly averted in 2002 did finally come home to roost in 2008. The 2008–'09 season was officially canceled on January 30, 2009.Shreveport Symphony Orchestra Management Cancels Season
Update~ Sept. 24, 2009Recently, there have been discussions between representatives of the symphony musicians and a new management team on behalf of the symphony, and naturally neither side wishes to comment while negotiations are pending. The "glimmer of hope" exists to bring these two sides together for an eventual agreement, as noted by an editorial comment in The Times of Shreveport, Opinion section, September 24, 2009.Editorial: Saturday concert reminds us what we're missing. Retrieved Nov. 5, 2009 Update~ Nov. 27, 2009"After two years of contentious negotiations, The Shreveport Symphony Orchestra is back – for now."Shreveport symphony has interim agreement. Retrieved Dec. 1, 2009 This information was just released during the last week in The Times [Shreveport], suggesting "a permanent return of live orchestral music" to Shreveport and its citizens.A Great Thanksgiving Day Present for Shreveport Retrieved Mar. 18, 2010 In his arts blog, Robert Trudeau reported that SSO board president Dick Bremer, Rick Rowell, the leader of the musicians group, and Community Fund chief Paula Hickman announced the interim agreement and a concert series consisting of three planned concerts.Shreveport Symphony Orchestra board and musicians come together for 3 concerts in 2010. Robert Trudeau Arts Blog, Nov. 23, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
Renewed concert season (2010 to 2011) Following the enthusiastic response from the community to a new series of concerts, a more permanent agreement was reached in July, 2010. Shortly thereafter, the orchestra announced the official concert schedule for the 2010–'11 season.
As the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra embarked on the new season starting January 30, 2010, this group of talented, classically trained musicians, along with their devoted management team, would have to encourage the participation of a broader subscriber base, including the younger population of the Shreveport-Bossier City metro area. Innovative marketing and fresh ideas could enhance the appeal of live music to an ever-widening audience. Even two of the original Big Five orchestras, the Philadelphia Orchestra Sad Violins: Philadelphia Orchestra May File for BankruptcyPhiladelphia Orchestra files for bankruptcy protection. CBC News, April 16, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2011. and the Cleveland Orchestra,Cleveland Orchestra And Striking Musicians Reach Deal. NPR, 19 January 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2016. have recently been subjected to the vagaries of the economy and the competitive nature of the entertainment/cultural industry.
The much-anticipated first concert of the 2010 seasonSymphony to perform Retrieved Mar. 18, 2010 was a rousing success, judging from the attendance at the RiverView Theater yesterday evening.Sold out: Riverview Theater at capacity of 1600 for the return of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra Triumphant return of the Shreveport Symphony. Shreveport Times (archived), January 31, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2011. This bodes well for the future of this arts organization, as long as the momentum is carried on to attract new audience members to upcoming SSO programs.The circus comes to the symphony Retrieved March 18, 2010 The final concert of the abbreviated season took place on May 15, 2010.Alon Goldstein and Stanislav Ioudenitch perform with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved May 19, 2010.A Keyboard Extravaganza. Retrieved May 19, 2010. Instead of the traditional annual Picnic Pops concert, which was usually held outdoors on the riverfront, this year the SSO and the Ark-La-Tex Youth Symphony Orchestra (ALTYSO) joined together for a free indoor concert on May 30, 2010.Michael Butterman, Christopher Allen, the SSO and the Arklatex Youth Symphony in concert. Robert Trudeau's Blog, May 24, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2010. Michael Butterman explained it this way, "We're doing much the same thing, but this time indoors," he said. "We will open with the youth orchestra playing a couple of things on its own and then the symphony will play on its own and then they will play together." The program included works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Richard Wagner and Gustav Holst, as well as music from "Fiddler on the Roof," and "The King and I: A Symphonic Portrait.". The Times, May 25, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2010.