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Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Tours Poland

In March the musicians of Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO), members of Local 92 (Buffalo, NY), went on international tour for the first time in 30 years, and only the second time ever. The tour to Poland was a result of BPOs friendship with composer/conductor Krzysztof Penderecki and Beethoven Easter Festival founder and artistic director Elzbieta Penderecka. BPO Music Director JoAnn Falletta, a member of Local 125 (Norfolk, VA), had met them while guest-conducting in Krakow. In December 2016, Penderecki led a BPO concert. Soon after, Penderecka invited BPO to perform at the 11-day Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw. This year’s Festival celebrated Leonard Bernstein’s centennial. The orchestra also gave sold-out performances in Wroclaw, Lublin, and Katowice.

A group of about 30 BPO patrons took part in a special tour, attending the concert in Warsaw, then visiting Krakow and Prague. A brass and wind octet strengthened ties with Buffalo sister city Rzeszow by performing there. They also gave a masterclass and performance at the Penderecki Center in Lusalwice.

International Musician, Orchestra News

Buffalo Phil Plans Tour Abroad

In March 2018, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) will embark on its first overseas tour since 1988, traveling to Poland for four concerts and several master classes by BPO brass and percussion ensembles. The centerpiece of the tour will be a performance at the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw.

BPO Music Director JoAnn Falletta will be the first woman to conduct at that festival. She has programmed works by American composers and by Krzystof Penderecki, in celebration of his 85th birthday.

“The opportunity to tour Poland at the invitation of the Beethoven Easter Festival will be a transformative artistic benchmark in the history of our Buffalo Philharmonic,” says Falletta, a member of Local 125 (Norfolk, VA). “We are very proud to be able to represent Buffalo and Western New York at the festival.”

BPO has announced that attendance increased by 11.5% in the 2016-2017 season, with more than 212,000 adults and children experiencing its concerts. With a budget of $11.6 million,  the orchestra gives 129 performances during its 38-week season. BPO musicians are members of Local 92 (Buffalo, NY).

Orchestra News

BPO Marks Successful Year

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) continued its trend of balanced budgets in FY 2014, thanks in part to a 6.2% increase in ticket sales. Nearly 200,000 people heard BPO perform more than 100 concerts. BPO’s endowment also grew past the $32 million mark, and the orchestra hopes to grow it to $50 million within the next few years. BPO increased its reach and visibility by releasing four CDs, performing a six-concert tour in Florida, and making an appearance at Richardson Hall in Princeton, New Jersey.

“Local 92 applauds the success and financial health of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, particularly since it will continue to directly benefit the orchestra musicians. We look forward to continued good labor and management relations, all the time remaining vigilant to the terms of the CBA currently in place, and ever ready to vigorously defend our union members when needed,” says Local 92 President Jim Pace.