10/13/09 – Personnel Policy

Personnel Policy as of October 12, 2009


New Hampshire Music Festival
Personnel Policy

 

The New Hampshire Music Festival is committed to redefining its vision and mission.  In order to realize its vision, the role of musicians in the orchestra is changing:  the Festival will create a collaborative process in preparing for concert performances, introduce the concept of curators, and introduce distinguished students into the Festival for mentoring by the Festival musicians.

In order to successfully realize this change, the Festival adopts the following policy that has been developed with the participation of the Orchestra committee.

Selection of Musicians for the 2010 Season

(1)   A list of Musicians eligible for re-invitation (hereafter referred to as the “Eligible List” and musicians on that Eligible List  hereafter referred as “Incumbent Musicians”) for the 2010 season is attached.  Attached as well is a second list of Musicians who may be asked to substitute from time to time (hereafter referred to as the “Substitute List”).

(2)   In the 2010 Season, the Festival will offer employment to forty-five (45) Incumbent Musicians to be chosen from the list referenced in (1) above as follows:

a. A six-week season in 2010 to twenty (20) Incumbent Musicians.
b. A choice, up to four (4) weeks of employment in the 2010 season, to an additional twenty-five (25) Incumbent Musicians.
c. If any Incumbent Musician opts out, the Festival will continue to offer positions to  Musicians on the Eligible List  until all forty-five positions are filled with Incumbent Musicians or until that list is exhausted.

(3)   The Artistic Director of the Festival will offer six weeks of employment in the 2010 season to twenty (20) professional Musicians who are not incumbents so that there are twenty non-Incumbent Musicians employed in each week of the Festival.  The Artistic Director will determine the Musicians to whom this offer will be extended.  These musicians will be selected based on their experience in the new model and will assist Incumbent Musicians in transitioning to the new model.

 

(4)   The Festival will determine the number of students who will be invited to join the Orchestra in the 2010 season, currently anticipated to be between five (5) and eight (8).

 

(5)   Offers of employment described in Paragraphs (1) through (4) will be conditional on funding and an evaluation of the musician’s ability to support the Festival and the new direction it is taking.  In the event insufficient funding is raised to employ the number of Incumbent Musicians referenced above and the twenty (20) non-Incumbent Musicians, the complement of musicians will be reduced proportionately among Incumbent and non-Incumbent musicians.   Both the Festival and those Incumbent Musicians who are employed agree to support the efforts to meet these funding requirements.

(6)   The Festival will send to all Incumbent Musicians by October 13, 2009 an invitation for employment in the 2010 season consistent with paragraphs (1) through (3).   Incumbent Musicians must respond to the Festival and the Festival must be in receipt of this response no later than November 13, 2009.  This response must indicate:

a. Whether (s)he accepts or declines the offer of employment.
b. How many weeks of employment (s)he prefers.
c. Where fewer than six weeks is chosen, which weeks (s)he selects for the 2010 season, and a second preference.  At his/her option, the musician may submit a third preference.  The Musician may select consecutive weeks or non-consecutive weeks during the season.

(7)   An Incumbent Musician who fails to submit his/her selection to the Festival by November 13 will be considered to have opted out of employment for the 2010 season. Further, any Incumbent Musician who opts out for reengagement for the 2010 Season or who opts in but is not offered employment, or fails to timely submit his/her selection will no longer be considered for future employment with the Festival.  However, in recognition of the past practice of the Festival, if, during this open period from October 13 to November 13, 2009, a Musician chooses to decline the invitation for employment, but not opt out of the Festival, in order to pursue other career opportunities or because his/her personal situation makes participation in the Festival impractical, (s)he can submit documentation to the Festival in support of the request for reconsideration and will be considered for future reengagement with the Festival, as appropriate.  Any Incumbent Musician who opts in to the Festival but does not receive an offer of employment for the 2010 Season because of insufficient funding will remain on the Substitute List.

(8)   The Artistic Director of the Festival will determine the seating of non-Incumbent Musicians.

(9)   In the event of an oversubscription of Incumbent Musicians in a Section, the Principals of the 2009 Festival Orchestra (hereinafter “Section Leaders”) will, in consultation among themselves, determine which incumbent Musicians to place in each Section. In the event Section Leaders for whatever reason decline to participate in this process, the Festival will create a fair process to determine which Incumbent Musicians will be invited.

(10)  The Artistic Director will seat the 2010 Orchestra, coordinating the selections for the 2010 season submitted by Incumbent Musicians, the instrumentation requirements for the 2010 Season and the requirements for placement of the non-incumbent Musicians in the families of instruments.  The Artistic Director will consult with the Section Leaders who make themselves available in making these selections (including coordinating the process described in paragraph (8).  The objective will be to maximize the preferences of Incumbent Musicians where possible.  The Artistic Director will use his discretion to employ programming as a tool, consistent with the thematic choices for that Season, to adjust instrumentation to accommodate as many Incumbent Musicians’ preferences as possible.


Evaluation of Musicians during the 2010 Season

All Musicians who are employed for the summer 2010 season will be subject to a comprehensive review of their playing proficiency, mentoring skills and ability to work collaboratively in the new model.

1. Musicians will be evaluated by the Artistic Director on an ongoing basis throughout the season. The Artistic Director will consult with Section Leaders and other Musicians.
2. Musicians will receive real time feedback continuously from the Artistic Director and those musicians selected as Section Leaders in the 2010 Season to enable them to address any issues regarding their performance.  Prior to any employment decision regarding renewal of any Musician for the 2011 Season, the Artistic Director will consult with the Peer Review Committee selected by the Orchestra. The decision for renewal of Musicians for the 2011 Season will be solely within the discretion of the Artistic Director.  The Artistic Director will consider, among other factors, the recommendations of the Peer Review Committee.   The Artistic Director’s decision will be final.


Relationship with Musicians

The Festival management remains committed to continuing a collaborative relationship with its Musicians.  Toward that end, the dialogue with Musicians will continue in order to facilitate the realization of the new collaborative model.  This dialogue will include subjects such as, among others:

(1)   Hours of work
(2)   Coordinating work with Curators
(3)   Student mentoring
(4)   How to achieve Musician commitment to the new approach to making music.


Compensation

For Musicians employed by the Festival for the 2010 season, basic weekly compensation for Musicians will be increased by 25% above the 2009 basic weekly compensation levels.

In developing and implementing Personnel policies and decisions of the New Hampshire Music Festival, the Festival management is committed to consultation with the Orchestra Committee to provide opportunities for discussion and input.  Personnel policies and decisions are the prerogative of the management (including the Artistic Director of the Festival).  
This Policy replaces all previously published Personnel Policies issued by the Festival.

List of Musicians and Pool/Substitute List

New Hampshire Music Festival
Eligible Musicians List 2010

First Name                 Last Name                  Instrument(s)

1          Eric                              Anderson                     Bassoon
2          Rachel                          Braude                         Flute/Piccolo
3          Scott                            Brubaker                      Horn
4          Sasha                           Callahan                       Violin
5          Andrea                         DiGregorio                   Cello
6          Bernard                        DiGregorio                   Viola
7          Charles                         Dimmick                       Violin
8          Leo                              Eguchi                          Cello
9          John                             Fetter                           Violin
10        Sandra                         Flesher-Sheldon           Oboe
11        John                             Floyd                           Timpani
12        Julie                              Fox Henson                  Violin
13        Elizandro                      Garcia-Montoya           Clarinet
14        David                           Goldblatt                      Cello
15        Ella Marie                     Gray                             Violin
16        Walter                          Gray                             Cello
17        John                             Hall                              Cello
18        David                           Handler                        Violin
19        Kristina LaCombe        Handler                        Violin
20        Kimberly Hamill            Harriman                      Horn
21        Mary                            Harris                           Viola
22        Joseph                          Higgins                         Bass
23        Heidi Braun                  Hill                               Violin
24        Whitacre                      Hill                               Horn
25        Maureen                       Horgan                         Trombone
26        Yvonne                        Hsueh                           Violin
27        Tido                             Janssen                         Cello
28        Keith                            Johnson                        Trumpet
29        Marilyn                         Johnson                        Viola
30        Bill                               Kalinkos                       Clarinet
31        Katie                            Kennedy                      Cello
32        Andrea Pettigrew          Kho                             Violin
33        Nicolasa                       Kuster                          Bassoon
34        Kathryn                        Langr                           Violin
35        Michael                        Lelevich                        Bass
36        David                           Loucky                         Trombone
37        William                         Manley                         Percussion
38        David                           Mazanec                      Bass
39        John                             McElroy                       Trumpet
40        Nina Allen                    Miller                           Horn
41        David                           Nesmith                        Horn
42        Bozena                         O’Brien                        Violin
43        Ronald                         Patterson                      Violin
44        Roxanna                       Patterson                      Viola
45        Margaret                      Phillips                          Bassoon
46        Eliot                             Porter                           Bass
47        Donald                         Robinson                      Trombone
48        David                           Saunders                      Horn  
49        Phyllis                          Mazza  Saunders          Violin
50        Cornelia                       Schwartz                      Violin
51        Ann                              Smith                            Viola
52        Cory                            Smith                            Violin
53        Malcolm                       Stewart                        Violin
54        Nikola                          Takov                          Violin
55        Viktoria                        Tchertchian                   Violin
56        Kristin                          VanCleve                     Violin
57        Julianne                        Verret                          Oboe
58        Valerie                         Watts                           Flute
59        Julie Thompson Whitton                                    Viola                          

Pool/Substitute List 2010
First Name                 Last Name                  Instrument(s)
1          Leslie                           Amper                          Piano                          
2          Velvet                          Brown                          Tuba  
3          Virginia                         Crumb                          Harp  
4          Mary                            Kay Ferguson               Flute/Piccolo
5          Jane                             Harrison                       Oboe/English Horn
6          Randy                          Hogancamp                  Percussion
7          Richard                        Kelly                            Percussion
8          George                         Lopez                           Piano
9          Frances                        Renzi                            Piano
10        Olev                             Viro                             Violin