Talk:Rochester, MN Riverside Concerts
History of Riverside Concerts
Riverside Concerts' roots lie with the Rochester Music Union, which began presenting concerts in 1869, the Rochester Park Band, which produced its first concert in 1894, and the Rochester Concert Orchestra that was organized in 1896. "Music and Band Board" was established as a department of the City by Ordinance No. 986 on April 7, 1936. The charter mission of the "Music and Band Board" was to:
"...furnish music upon the streets and upon public grounds and places in the City of Rochester, and in that connection has full power and authority to hire and discharge such musicians and other persons as may be necessary."
Ordinance No. 986, adopted May 5, 1958, changed the name of the department to "The Rochester Music Board." At that time, the mission of the department was also refined to read:
"...to provide music for the general public within the limits of the funds made available for that purpose. It shall be the duty of the Board to promote and encourage all music and music activities of a public nature in the City of Rochester and vicinity."
The department's current mission was expanded by Ordinance No. 1198, adopted March 4, 1963. During the 1970’s, the Rochester Music Board began to change its focus from a community music program to a regional symphony-based program. During the 1980's the Rochester Symphony Orchestra (RSO) program continued to improve in quality, the number of RSO concerts per season was increased, an attempt to establish a "core orchestra" was undertaken, and the number of commuting musicians engaged was increased. The Rochester Music Board found it difficult to sustain this model, however, and ran a $165,000 operating deficit during FY 1987. While the City provided the funding necessary to pay the department's outstanding liabilities, the viability of the Rochester Music Board as a municipal entity was called into question. To preserve the RSO, the resident string quartet and one administrative staff member were laid-off, community music and Concert Band activity was further curtailed, the department's presenting relationship with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra was terminated, and the Board made a commitment to repay the accumulated debt.
As the 1990's began, the Rochester Music Board was struggling to maintain a regional symphony orchestra and avoid running another budget deficit. It also became politically important for the department to diversify its programmatic offerings. Consequently, the Down By The Riverside summer series was established. At the same time, management/labor relations began to suffer, as IRS regulations required the City to change the status of RSO musicians from independent contractor to employee. Mileage reimbursement for commuting musicians was also called into question and the Orchestra Committee chose to bargain on a meet-and-confer basis with a City negotiator.
Things came to a head in 1995 when the Rochester Music Board of Directors determined that, after 16 years of the same artistic vision, it wanted to change Music Directors. At that juncture, the members of the Rochester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale chose to separate from the Rochester Music Board and establish a new organization in the private sector. The Board then directed staff to develop a new program for the 1996/1997 season that placed a greater emphasis on presenting artists of the highest artistic caliber, within the limits of the funds made available for that purpose. In addition, the Concert Band was to be positioned as the department's year-round, "concert-quality" ensemble. Moreover, the Board renewed the City's commitment to community music and local musicians.
Following the departure of the Rochester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, the Rochester Music Board’s position as a City department was secured thanks to the success of the Down by the Riverside concert series. The department then began to experiment with various approaches to programming on its main stage. The department offered several seasons of world-class artists (e.g., Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Maynard Ferguson) with relatively high artistic fees using a traditional programming calendar that met with mixed results. It then tested a mini-series/festival programming model that, while achieving the modest attendance and revenue goals set for the concept, met with marketplace resistance.
In the new millennium, the Rochester Music Board (now known as Riverside Concerts) continues to evolve and has returned to a more traditional programming calendar.