7/10/08 – Letter from David Graham


NEW HAMPSHIRE MUSIC FESTIVAL


INFORMATION FOR FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA MEMBERS

Date: July 10, 2008
From: David Graham, President

COMMUNICATION – We will work to do a better job communicating with all of you and we will need your help, as communication works only if it’s 2-way. We would like to avoid the misunderstanding that occurred last year.

Messages:
We have purchased a vacuum for use in the apartments. It will be stored in the North Twin Common Room and there will be a sign out sheet.  If you do not have the combination to that room, please see Jeff Chase or contact Donna Mitchell.
Chamber and Classics concerts are being recorded again this year for archival purposes. Forms will soon be available backstage. More information to come.
Please remember to regularly check your mailboxes in the lobby at Smith. In addition to your personal mail, NHMF and PSU leave notices for you. Donna will be leaving some pamphlets – The Arts, Crafts, Performance and Historic Sites of NH for each of you.

Q& A:
Q.  What is the status of musician lodging for the Festival’s new home in Center Harbor? Last year the conceptual drawing didn’t include musician lodging.
A. Last year’s conceptual drawings included only Phase One, or the Core Project which included a 700 seat concert hall, 200 seat salon/recital hall, and the renovation of Festival House for public and administrative use. The Second Phase will include musician housing and endowment for facilities operations and program expenses.

Q.  Will the Festival become a presenting organization? Is that why there was no musician housing in Phase One?
A. Again, musician housing is central to Phase Two. We do not have a timeline or fundraising goal as of today but we are working on it along with wrapping up and continuing the work for Phase One. Please be aware that Gidon Kremer originally wanted to perform the Shostakovich Trio at our Festival this year. Later, after much communication, he agreed to perform with the orchestra. We did not want him playing chamber music because it might have been misinterpreted that we are becoming a presenting organization. We wanted him to perform with you, and he is looking forward to doing so.

Q. What will happen to the musicians in the current Festival Orchestra?
A. Our organizational planning is in progress. What we do know is that the Festival will look just like it always has for the next two years. During the next two years we will make decisions driven by quality.

If you have any questions or comments call me @ 279-3300 or my email is