Self-Governing, Cooperative Orchestras

The more radical approach to musician involvement is the formation of self-governing, cooperative orchestras. The cooperative orchestra actually has a long and rich history. The New York Philharmonic was a “musician cooperative,” with musicians exercising the typical management responsibilities of programming concerts and hiring conductors, musicians, and soloists. (1)

Cooperative orchestras also have a rich European history. Three prominent European orchestras with “self-governing” roots are the London Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, and Berlin Philharmonic.

The London Symphony Orchestra was established by former members of the Queen’s Hall Orchestra in 1904. The musicians are responsible for all internal matters, including personnel, discipline and scheduling, and hiring of the music director. Nine of the 14 members of the board are orchestra musicians.

The Vienna Philharmonic was established in 1842. Twelve elected musicians oversee the daily administration of the orchestra with two of the musicians acting as business managers. All major decisions, including personnel issues, are taken to the full orchestra.

The Berlin Philharmonic was established in 1887. Several governing bodies in the orchestra are elected by the musicians to represent the needs and requirements of the musicians. The general manager is responsible for coordinating and implementing the operational needs of the orchestra. The musicians choose the permanent conductor and orchestra auditions are held before the entire orchestra.

Cooperative orchestras are fairly rare in the United States, but there are a few prominent examples. Each has taken a different path in evolving into a cooperative orchestra. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is a very unique group because it is known as the orchestra that performs without a conductor. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra was formed by a group of freelance musicians in New York City in 1972. The goal of the musicians in creating the orchestra was to gain control over their working lives by not being locked in with one orchestra, and also to belong to a group that would be musically challenging for the musicians and the audience.

The musicians are directly involved in the governance of the orchestra. Three musicians serve on the board of directors. There is no music director or conductor for the performances. The traditional music director responsibilities of leading the rehearsals and performances are rotated among the core musicians. The designated leader leads the group from his/her music stand. Three musicians serve on the board of directors, and three others serve as artistic directors; they handle various responsibilities, including personnel, schedules and budgets, and coordinate with the managing director and the general director. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has been extremely successful, having gained an international reputation for artistic excellence and created a unique niche for itself in the musical world.

Other examples of current American cooperative organizations are the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. Each of these cooperative orchestras was formed after the predecessor orchestra that employed the musicians dissolved because of dissolution and/or bankruptcy.

The Colorado Symphony was established in 1989 after the Denver Symphony declared bankruptcy. Management’s declaration of bankruptcy was the culmination of years of debt and demands for financial concessions from the musicians. In the early years of the Colorado Symphony, the orchestra was run by a steering committee of musicians and supportive community members.

The early years were a struggle because the orchestra offered a much shorter season than its predecessor organization. After a period of time, the Colorado Symphony did merge with the previous entity of the Denver Symphony to gain use of badly-needed assets, such as the music library and the endowment of the Denver Symphony. However, the fundamental governance structure with substantial musician representation on the board stayed in place. The musicians retained significant participation on the board and all governing committees. The current board is composed of 40 members, 9 of whom are musicians. The orchestra has been very successful; it currently operates with an $11 million budget and has a 42-week season. In the industry, the Colorado Symphony is considered a major orchestra that has thrived from its grassroots beginnings.

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