Goldman Band

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The Goldman band was formed by American musician and composer Edwin Franko Goldman in 1918 (see 1918 in music) from the earlier New York Military Band. Goldman had organized the New York Military Band in 1911[1]. Both bands were based in New York city.

The Goldman Band's first concert under that name was at Columbia University. For ninety-three years the Goldman Band performed free public concerts at a variety of venues in New York city, including Columbia, Central Park and Prospect Park[1]. After Goldman’s death in 1956, his son, Richard Franko Goldman, took the podium until his death in 1980[1]. Ainslee Cox followed him, then Gene Young, David Eaton, and Christian Wilhjelm[2]. Over the years a large number of famous composers have written for the band[2]. The first performance of Arnold Schoenberg's Theme and Variations for Band, op.46a, was performed by the Goldman Band in 1946 with Richard Franko Goldman conducting[citation needed].

Due to a deeply divisive labor dispute, the Goldman Memorial Band ceased operations in the summer of 2005[3]. The Board of Directors had offered to guarantee 4 concerts for the first year of a three year agreement along with a reduction of the required minimum for each guaranteed concert from 53 musicians to 48 over three years. The members of the band were represented by a committee of five band members and the American Federation of Musicians, Local 802. The voting members rejected the 11th hour agreement though the officials from Local 802 recommended approval. The Board of Directors of Goldman Memorial Band voted to cease operations.[citation needed]

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^  a  b  Hinckley, David. "On the mall: Edwin Franko Goldman", New York Daily News, June 7, 2004. 
  2. ^  a  The Goldman Memorial Band - A Brief History. The Goldman Memorial Band Musician's Web Pages. Retrieved on December 25, 2005.
  3. ^  The End. The Goldman Memorial Band Musician's Web Pages. Retrieved on December 25, 2005.

[edit] External links