Peoria Symphony Board’s Decision to Oust Commanday

By Elaine Hopkins

The disharmony, even cacophony from the Peoria Symphony Orchestra Board’s ouster of its popular music director and conductor David Commanday just gets louder, playing on and on to widening audiences.

For a decade Commanday has been a dashing figure leading the symphony and its feeder group, the Central Illinois Youth Symphony. He’s also well-connected enough to bring top national soloists to Peoria: Joshua Bell, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma.

But last year, a few board members clashed with Commanday over musical choices, reportedly going behind his back to make decisions, even though Commanday’s contract and board policy empower him to make artistic decisions. When he rebelled, they refused to renew his contract, in effect firing him.

He also was ousted from the Central Illinois Youth Symphony, whose board chairman is the wife of the symphony board’s vice president. Ouch!

The symphony board will not reveal the vote totals on its initial decision, or even how many board members were present at the meeting or whether they knew in advance that Commanday’s fate was to be discussed.

The secrecy of this self-selecting board concerns many symphony fans, especially since the organization receives tax funds in the form of grants, mostly from the Illinois Arts Council.

State records show it has received $203,500 since 2004. But lax state laws governing not-for-profit boards allow closed meetings.

That’s an issue the Illinois Reform Commission should take up! It meets in Peoria on March 30. See its website at http://www.reformillinoisnow.org where you can post comments on reform, and find details on the March meeting.

Meanwhile his fans not only hate to lose Commanday but fear the symphony may follow the fate of the opera. It disintegrated a few years ago after board dissention led to the ouster of its popular leader Fiora Contino.

The 111-year old Peoria Symphony is stronger financially than the opera ever was, and its board has acknowledged that money is not the issue with Commanday.

In fact the only problem with Commanday that board members can point to is a decline in season ticket sales, a national trend. The board has never released figures on total ticket sales.

Word of Commanday’s ouster became public shortly before the January 24 concert. As Commanday walked onto the stage that night, he received cheers and a standing ovation from the audience before a note of music was played. He touched his heart in response.

After that concert, his fans got organized. Behind-the-scenes mediation was attempted, with former Caterpillar Inc. president Bob Gilmore, a major donor to the symphony, approaching board leaders. He was rebuffed.

So at the Feb. 14 concert Commanday’s supporters hit the streets outside the Peoria Civic Center in the freezing cold, taking signatures on a petition asking that Commanday be retained next year. People stood in line to sign.

Peoria Civic Center officials refused to allow them to take signatures inside this public building, an issue for another day.

The Feb. 14 concert, which included the Central Illinois Youth Symphony for some musical numbers, was by all accounts one of the best and most interesting in years. Again Commanday received a standing ovation when he first appeared on the stage, with cries of “keep Commanday” shouted from the audience.

Meanwhile the musicians also have supported Commanday. The members of the youth symphony signed a petition — on line, where else? — for Commanday. The orchestra members also signed a petition of support for Commanday, and announced they were forming a union to protect their own jobs from arbitrary board action.

Some of the principal players have hinted that they will quit when Commanday leaves. These music professors and teachers, the best of the best, can tell the board to “take that job and shove it.”

Fearing the worst, Commanday’s supporters kept working. In a little more than two weeks, they gathered over 900 signatures from the public, including season ticket holders and significant donors to the symphony.

Their leaders, Sara and Gary James, presented the petition to the board at its Feb. 19 meeting. They spoke to the board for less than three minutes, while a dozen of the group waited outside the closed-door meeting. (Remember, it’s not a public meeting even though this self-selecting board spends tax funds!)

All the signatures, from fans, donors and musicians were ignored. The board subsequently reported that a motion to revisit the Commanday issue was defeated, 16-7.

Then a bombshell: the guest conductor for the March 28 concert, Carlo Ponti, refused to appear, after learning of the symphony board’s actions.

The Journal Star quoted Ponti as saying “’Antagonism between the board and the director created an uncongenial atmosphere for music making.”

Ponti continued, “You cannot invite me, unbeknownst to him, and not let him know about this. It’s disrespectful. I respect players and orchestras and conductors too much to actually step on people’s toes. I don’t want to do that. I felt like I’m doing something which is not right….It was disrespectful to David. What is he? Chopped liver?”

A later statement backed down a little, but not much. And Ponti, who will be in Peoria for a symphony fund-raiser, still is not conducting. He has been replaced by another guest conductor, Michael Morgan.

Now what? The symphony board no doubt never imagined that its closed meeting of last fall ousting Commanday would engender disastrous publicity, a petition drive, a possible boycott of season ticket purchases and donations, the unionization of the orchestra, and perhaps an expansion of the state’s Open Meetings and Open Records laws to cover not-for-profit boards spending tax money.

Saving Commanday now, with the board apparently intent on staring down its audience, seems remote. He wants to stay in Peoria, but he’s applying for other positions, and has landed a part-time administrative job in New Jersey. That’s in no way a substitute for his Peoria position, but when have musicians ever been treated fairly and with justice and respect? (Think Mozart!)

Ponti, with his artistic background, understood what was at stake and courageously spoke out.

Commanday’s supporters are still meeting, and may be planning a surprise or two. Don’t touch that dial – or give up hope – not yet!