Cleveland Orchestra

And the RIA chairman went on record calling it a healthy, diversified marketplace that's lifting up the entire music community.

Now, to bring it a little closer to home, in this exact same week, the musicians of the Cleveland Orchestra stood outside their home at Severance Hall and voted unanimously to authorize a strike.

98 players.

They've been negotiating since July.

What I'm against is the sleight of hand where the industry is thriving, but the artists aren't thriving and it's not being reported fairly.

Lisa Lopez could have told you that in 1995 with that bankruptcy filing in her hand that it wasn't fair.

The Cleveland Orchestra's string section is telling you the same thing right now.

Doesn't matter the genre.

Find it on our website at NebraskaPublicMedia.org slash Friday Live.

next robert walters he grew up in lincoln before going on to become one of the country's leading oboe and english horn players today he is solo english horn player of the cleveland orchestra he's also a professor at the oberlin conservatory of music with a career that has taken him from the metropolitan opera and carnegie hall to concert stages around the world.

He is coming back to Nebraska to be part of the Brownville Concert Series coming up this Sunday, September 13th at 2 p.m. in the Brownville Concert Hall.

Robert Walters, welcome to Friday Live.

From stages at McPhee Elementary to Carnegie Hall to Brownville, we are talking here with oboist Robert Walters.

He's actually back in Nebraska to perform this Sunday, September 13th at 2 p.m., at the Brownville Concert Hall.

The Lincoln-raised musician brings his experience with the Cleveland Orchestra and stages around the world right back to his home state.

Robert, thank you so much.

Nearly half of those who were surveyed said they want unions to have more influence.

Unionization is making a splash in a variety of sectors across Northeast Ohio, from the musicians of the Cleveland Orchestra potentially going on strike to nurses, baristas, and librarians all wanting a seat at their respective tables when it comes to decision-making about their working conditions, payment, and benefits.

With Labor Day just a few days behind us, we thought it appropriate to take the pulse of the local labor landscape with workers here in Northeast Ohio.

With me now for the conversation, we have Rhonda Hillman.

If you want to be a part of this conversation, you can call 866-578-0903.

You can also email us at soi at ideastream.org or send us a message on Instagram at The Sound of Ideas.

We have a call in now from Elena Deitman, who is second violin for the Cleveland Orchestra and chair of the Musicians Negotiation Committee.

Elena, thanks for calling into The Sound of Ideas.

Our theater scene and our art scene is incredible.

We have Severance Hall, which is home to the Cleveland Orchestra, which is, I think, top five in the world most years.

So a lot of people don't know about that.

We have a massive art museum that's completely free, that's paid for by basically an endowment from the Rockefeller estate.

And so I just started making jewelry and loving it.

And when I moved to Cleveland 20 years ago and my husband is a musician and we moved here on account of his position at the Cleveland Orchestra.

A side note, we're not married anymore, but we're still, you know, we co-parent two wonderful daughters.

But when I came here and I was looking for work in the arts and I thought, I'm going to give my jewelry making a shot.

So my wife, Deborah, was in that group.

We put together this group, a clarinetist named Daniel McKelway, who's associate principal of Cleveland Orchestra now.

He was the clarinetist and a pianist who doesn't play piano anymore, actually, but she was a terrific pianist.

We formed this group and it was really because of another one of my mentors at the conservatory.

So what we need to do is find ways to find consensus among both parties, which is hard by the way, but it's absolutely something that w- is worth doing.

Cleveland Orchestra musicians are now talking about their fight for a new contract.

The two sides have been at the table for weeks, but still have no deal.

ONN's Natalie Clydesdale has the story.

The musicians say they've been meeting with management since early July and have yet to reach an agreement.

They unanimously voted to authorize a strike after their contract extension expires on September 23rd.

The musicians say that Cleveland Orchestra Management has refused to offer a competitive wage, give musicians a significant voice in auditions, and provide working conditions that they say would help prevent injuries.

They also say the orchestra is in danger of losing its status as one of the Big Five American orchestras.