The San Jose Symphony, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, temporarily shut its doors on Tuesday.

        The 123-year-old California orchestra ended its fiscal year in July with a $2.5 million deficit and no cash reserves. Last month, board members wrote personal checks to pay the 89 musicians, San Jose Mercury News critic Lesley Valdes reported.

        The orchestra's acting chief executive officer Dick Gourley told Ms. Valdes that contributions had dried up “because of the economy and terrorist attacks.” The board is planning a restructuring that could slash its almost $8 million budget in half.

        On Sept. 30, one of the most distinguished orchestras in the country, the 120-year-old St. Louis Symphony, held a benefit concert with big stars — for itself.

        After years of deficits, musicians may be forced to take a pay cut for the orchestra to continue daily operations. Experts point to the low endowment ($18 million, compared to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's $76 million) as one problem.

        Last week, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, faced with bankruptcy, asked its musicians to take a 15 percent pay cut, with more cuts possible. The orchestra, which has an accumulated deficit of more than $7 million (Canadian) is also considering reducing the number of players and trimming back the season.

        Finally, there's bad news in Chicago, where the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has posted a $1.3 million deficit for fiscal 2001, with a $2 million deficit projected for 2002. The orchestra, which has a $59 million operating budget, lost its nationally syndicated radio broadcast series from lack of funding. To stem the flow of red ink, it has closed its interactive music education center, ECHO, and is laying off staff. The latest news: its recording contract with Teldec has ended and will not be renewed.

        Opera fallout: Opera companies have enjoyed boom times in the past two decades. But panelists at Cincinnati Opera's “Industry Trends” Opera Rap on Sunday said opera is feeling the new economic crunch.

        And, the events of Sept. 11 could determine which operas the audience will see.

        “The opera industry is a little tenuous right now,” Dale Johnson, artistic director of Minnesota Opera said Sunday at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. “The biggest pressure is knowing that we're at the end of a cycle, and what is next?”

        The downturn in the economy may force Kentucky Opera in Louisville to postpone expansion plans, said Kimcherie Lloyd, director of music. And because of the attacks, companies are rethinking productions that “might touch a nerve,” she said.

        In Minnesota, “we're being less aggressive about doing new productions. So instead of two new productions, we'll only do one,” Mr. Johnson said.

        Next Opera Rap: Noon Nov. 14 at the Mercantile Library, downtown. 621-0717.

        New York impressions: The May Festival Chorus and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra performance of Britten's War Requiem in New York's Carnegie Hall on Oct. 9 touched the performers.

        The concert, conducted by May Festival maestro James Conlon, was exactly four weeks after the terrorist attacks.

        “Every word meant something; every movement had a special weight to it,” says soprano Sara Bennett, 29. “Usually you're beaming from ear to ear, but it was hard for us to smile. I had been to ground zero that day.”

        Candi Fetzer, 51, had also visited ground zero. “What impacted me was all of the red cloth shrouding the buildings. It made me feel like the buildings were bleeding. I had to get that out of my head while I was singing.”

        Bass Bud Babcock, 49, echoes, “It was impossible not to think of the attack as we were singing....The sadness of the music and the lingering atmosphere of tragedy were pervasive, and that took away some of the "gee whiz, we're in Carnegie Hall' thrill factor.”

        Adds soprano Kristin Suess, 25. “We just really felt the presence of where we were.”

        At the concert were critics from The New York Times, Newsday, The New Yorker, Village Voice, Wall Street Journal, Symphony magazine, Musical America, La Folia and Time. And reviews are posted at ConcertoNet.com and andante.com.

        Audience members included New York Yankees manager Joe Torre and singer Billy Joel.

        Remembering a giant: Carnegie Hall is dedicating its entire 2001-02 season to violinist Isaac Stern. Mr. Stern, who died last month at age 81, will be remembered on Oct. 30 in a musical tribute by Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, Midori, Pinchas Zukerman and others.

        When the renowned violinist became ill several weeks before he died of heart failure on Sept. 22, he turned his students over to Cincinnati violinist and close friend Henry Meyer. “If anyone fit the word irreplaceable, it was Isaac Stern,” says Mr. Meyer, who recently returned from Europe, where he was teaching for Mr. Stern. Mr. Meyer is co-director of the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshops, coaching sessions for young ensembles held in Carnegie Hall and Jerusalem.

        The two violinists met 53 years ago, at the first radio broadcasts by conductor Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Through the years, their international tours would often cross.

        “The first really wonderful time we had together was in 1955, when we (the LaSalle Quartet) were on a world tour, and we took a vacation in Ascona (Switzerland),” Mr. Meyer recalls. “He came there to play a concert — the Bach A-Minor, Mozart G-Major and the Haydn C-Major. Unforgettable! I remember all of his programs.”

        Mr. Stern was not a flashy violinist.

        “His sole purpose was to make music,” Mr. Meyer says. “He had virtuosity, but it was (for) the interpretation of the piece, of the music. He was the cleanest-playing violinist, as far as musical ideas. Nothing was for show.”

        Mr. Stern performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra 16 times between 1942 and 1982.

        In 1960, he spearheaded the campaign to save Carnegie Hall from the wrecking ball. Later, he was the link between the CSO's Judith Arron and Carnegie Hall, where she became executive director.

        Conlon's plans: Last month,Mr. Conlon announced his decision to leave the Paris Opera when his contract is up in 2004. In July, he'll end his tenure as music director for the City of Cologne.

        Now that he's clearing his calendar, the New York native could possibly take over an American orchestra.

        “To be fair, several have asked,” Mr. Conlon said, while in town to conduct the CSO earlier this month. “I have turned them down, because in the context of the moment, I wanted to be in Europe. That has changed. If asked, I will consider seriously.”

        Mr. Conlon's boss in Paris, Hugues Gall, will retire in 2004.

        “I want to leave with him and say, that was our era,” he says. “I never intended to stay there. I never believed I would last that long (nine years). I'm holding the record as it is.”

        “Everything added up,” he says, adding that his family is ready to move back to America.

        Mr. Conlon plans to step up his guest conducting in this country: Boston, New York, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Washington. Next year, he'll guest conduct the Minnesota Orchestra for the first time.

        “Cincinnati will be one of the places that I believe I'll be able to come back to regularly now,” he says.

        Mr. Conlon has no plans to leave the Cincinnati May Festival, which he has directed since 1979.

        Changing strings: The Amernet String Quartet, Corbett quartet-in-residence at Northern Kentucky University, is seeking a new first violinist. Violinist Erez Ofer has been named concertmaster of the Berlin Radio Orchestra. Mr. Ofer is former concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

        He will perform with the quartet through the remainder of the season.

        Conducting in Cleveland: May Festival director of choruses Robert Porco will make his subscription concert conducting debut with the Cleveland Orchestra, Thursday through Sunday in Severance Hall. Mr. Porco, who also directs the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, will lead the U.S. premiere of James MacMillan's Magnificat, plus Poulenc's Organ Concerto and Orff's Carmina Burana. Tickets: (800) 686-1141 or clevelandorchestra.com.

        Room for more: For the first time in 20 years, the Linton Music Series has subscriptions available. The normally sold-out series, held in the First Unitarian Church in Avondale, recently started a Monday series in Montgomery for the overflow.

        Now, because former subscribers have moved away, there is room for more. The Linton season opens with violinist Elmar Oliveira, cellist Eric Kim and pianist Robert Koenig, 4 p.m. today in the First Unitarian Church, or 7:30 p.m. Monday, Congregation Ohav Shalom, Montgomery. 381-6868 or lintonmusic.org.
        Contact Janelle Gelfand at 768-8382; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: jgelfand@enquirer.com.
       

Music stars show their stripes
Jarvi family makes cover of magazine
Crises hit four U.S. symphonies
Statewide survey of arts revealing, dismaying to some
What's new in technology
Confident CSO tackles the cosmos
Exhibit displays historical panorama of photography
'Gypsy' a great star turn
MM&W's instrumentals funky, derivative
Paranoia strikes deep in the heart of . . . Loveland?
The 'Junkman'
West High reunion meets amid sadness
Here's how columnist makes his wine picks
Kentucky magistrate's office a weddings album
No. 1 restaurant tip: Service counts
Searching for the super salad bar
Get to it