Aloha members,
A little recap of the year gone by:
In September, the Hawaii Symphony began its eighth season, and bid farewell to Executive Director Jonathan Parrish, who left the islands to head up the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. The HSO is now under the direction of Interim Executive Director Scott Harrison. We wish both Jonathan and Scott the best in their new endeavors. The HSO musicians are currently involved in the search for a permanent director, with the goal of finding a new person soon.
The Hawaii Opera Theater has again started to subcontract their 677 musicians through the HSO. Hopefully, this will lead to a closer working relationship between the two employers that will, in turn, lead to more opportunities for 677 musicians.
We are closely following the progress of the potential NBC redevelopment project, as this affects many 677 musicians.
The Diamond Head Theatre musicians received a raise this year, in accordance with the new, five-year collective bargaining agreement’s pay-raise schedule.
In the freelance world, a few large gigs came and went, enhancing the casual scene for our members. Of note were the touring Broadway musical “Phantom Of The Opera” company, which hired 10 local 677 musicians to complement the traveling orchestra, and Johnny Mathis, who came to the islands for the second year in a row, hiring 31 local musicians for a two-night stand.
Chamber Music Hawaii is once again offering a full and varied slate of concerts for the 2019-2020 season.
Our building is at full capacity tenant-wise, which gives us some much-needed stability, and our work on improving the studios (including Studio One) continues.
In closing, please let me remind you all that the “the union” is not some entity separate from you. As members, you are the union. Our strength is in us, and in our shared commitment to good and better conditions for our fellow musicians.
Thanks for reading.
I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2020.
Jim Moffitt, President
Musicians Association of Hawaii
From the Winter 2020 issue, Ke Ola O Na Mele