The Wall Street Journal from the 19th of July had a front page articel on the difficultin of merging orchestras, and included a not eabout the NYPO/NYS merger in 1928 as an indication of the difficulty involved. What is interesting is what dominated the procedings - every one keeping their jobs, and getting a director who could raise money. Which leads me to wonder - should we go to a system where the concertmaster again basically conducts the orchestra, so that the man on the podium is purely a figurehead who raises money? stirling newberry [log in to unmask]