The International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSO

is a Players' Conference of the

American Federation of Musicians The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/AFofM) is a 501(c)(5) labor union representing professional instrumental musicians in the United States and Canada. The AFM, which has its headquarters in New York City, ...

(AF

In 1962, members of US and Canadian orchestras began to meet and discuss ways they could communicate with each other, drafted

bylaws A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), or as it is most commonly known in the United States bylaws, is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authorit ...

, and began pushing the AFM for formal recognition of ICSOM as a conference of the AFM. Actual conference status was not conferred upon ICSOM until 1969. ICSOM's example and successes over the years inspired other groups to organize into formal conferences as well – the Recording Musicians Association (RM

the

Regional Orchestra Players' Association In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

(ROP

and the Theatre Musicians Association (TM

ICSOM's Canadian members left ICSOM when the

Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...

(OCSM/OMOS

was formed in 1975. Several books have chronicled the history of ICSOM, including ''More Than Meets the Ear: How Symphony Musicians Made Labor History'

by Julie Ayer ( Syren Book Company) and ''The First Fifty Years of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians'' by Tom Hal

ICSOM began tabulating Conductor (music), conductor evaluations in 1967 and has nearly 600 different conductors in the database. An online Conductor Evaluation Program for ICSOM musicians to evaluate its conductors was launched in January 2018

In March 2009, then ICSOM chairman Bruce Ridge appeared before United States Congress. His testimony before the House Committee on Education and Labor on the economic impact of the arts and music industry can be viewed on YouTub

ICSOM is also involved in supporting minority-group instrumentalists and currently contributes prize money to winners of the Sphinx Competition

In August 2012, ICSOM celebrated its 50th anniversary in Chicago. A feature in the

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

highlighted ICSOM's achievements and future plans

Currently ICSOM's membershi

includes nearly 4000 musicians of the top 53 orchestras in the USA and Puerto Rico. Each year delegates from ICSOM's 53 member orchestras, along with AFM officers, meet to discuss current business and contracts. ICSOM is a resource for symphonic musicians, with a purpose of promoting, communicating, enriching, supporting, and celebrating the arts. Current officers of ICSOM are

* Meredith Snow, chairperson (

Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at th ...

br>
*Paul Austin, president (

Grand Rapids Symphony The Grand Rapids Symphony is a professional orchestra located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1930, the Symphony is celebrating its 90th anniversary season in 2019-20. In 2006, its recording ''Invention and Alchemy'' was nominated for ...

br>
*Laura Ross, secretary (

Nashville Symphony Orchestra The Nashville Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The orchestra is resident at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. History In 1920, prior to the 1946 founding of the Nashville Symphony, a group of amateur and ...

br>
*Peter de Boor, treasurer (

Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra Kennedy may refer to: People * John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), 35th president of the United States * John Kennedy (Louisiana politician), (born 1951), US Senator from Louisiana * Kennedy (surname), a family name (including a list of persons with t ...

br>
*Mike Muszynski, editor ''Senza Sordino'' (

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is an American orchestra based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The largest performing arts organization in Indiana, the orchestra is based at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown Indianapolis on Monument Circl ...

*Keith Carrick, member-at-large (

Utah Symphony The Utah Symphony is an American orchestra based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The orchestra's principal venue is Abravanel Hall. In addition to its Salt Lake City subscription concerts, the orchestra travels around the Intermountain West serving c ...

br>
*Alberto Suarez, member-at-large (

Kansas City Symphony The Kansas City Symphony (KCS) is a United States symphony orchestra based in Kansas City, Missouri. The current music director is conductor Michael Stern. The Symphony performs at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, located at 1601 Br ...

*Dan Sweeley, member-at-large (

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra located in Buffalo, New York led by Music Director JoAnn Faletta. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Each season it p ...

*Kenneth Thompkins, member-at-large (

Detroit Symphony Orchestra The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its primary performance venue is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. Jader Bignamini is the current music d ...

*General Counsel: Kevin Cas

References

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...

feature on 2010 ICSOM Conferenc

*

feature on the 50th anniversary of ICSO

*

Kansas City Star ''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and as ...

feature on the 2013 ICSOM conferenc

{{authority control American orchestras American Federation of Musicians