By Janelle Gelfand
Enquirer staff writer

Ohio's other orchestras might look upon the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with envy. Although Cincinnati's big-budget orchestra is struggling to close a budget gap of $2 million to $3 million next season and must settle new musician contracts by Sept. 5, the situation is not nearly so dire as in Columbus and Cleveland.

Disaster in Columbus

For the first time in its 53-year history, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, which regularly employs at least 10 Cincinnati musicians, is without a music director, an executive director and a board chair. In addition, both the former board chair and the interim president are in trouble with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Here's how the soap opera is unfolding:

• In May 2002, the symphony board refused to renew the contract of popular music director Alessandro Siciliani. Shocked symphony fans formed a grass-roots movement to reinstate the maestro.

• In May 2004, Columbus developer George Skestos and other donors pledged $1.5 million if the board would reinstate Siciliani and fire symphony president Dan Hart. Board chair Michael McMennamin refused.

• Also in May, faced with a $1.3 million operating deficit in the 2002-03 season and another shortfall this year, the board demanded that musicians take a 30 percent pay cut, or face the firing of half its full-time roster of 54 players. (Columbus musicians earn $50,000 to $60,000.) The players refused.

• In July, musicians broke off talks. They recently hired a banner plane to fly over an outdoor concert, reading "Save Your Symphony: www.symphonymusicians.com," the musicians' Web site.

• On July 28, Hart resigned and Mark Beeson was named interim director. Beeson was fined $100,000 in June and barred from the mutual fund industry for two years, for trading violations while he was president and chief executive of Bank One Corp.'s One Group mutual funds.

• On Tuesday, McMennamin, who is, incidentally, former chief financial officer at Bank One, stepped down as board chair. He also gave up his current position as CFO at Huntington Bancshares Inc., which is now under SEC investigation.

"It's not good for our leadership to have questions of integrity," says Columbus second bassoonist Doug Fisher, who lives in Hyde Park and is president of the Central Ohio Federation of Musicians. "We're deeply concerned. The board has threatened bankruptcy. We're going to do everything we can to prevent that."

Beeson was not available for comment.

Sour notes in Cleveland

Like Cincinnati, the Cleveland Orchestra is in the throes of financial distress coupled with musician contract negotiations. The orchestra posted a $4.25 million deficit this year, bringing the accumulated deficit to $7.4 million - a Cleveland Orchestra record.

Administration and staff members have already taken salary cuts and freezes. Music director Franz Welser-Most, whose annual salary is $1.2 million, took a 10 percent pay cut, the Plain Dealer reports.

This week, the orchestra announced it eliminated the post of festival director of its outdoor Blossom Festival. Jahja Ling will step down at the end of next summer, and Welser-Most will oversee Blossom's programming.

Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops will play a Celtic program - their 25th and 26th performances at Blossom - to close the season Sept. 4-5. Tickets: (216) 231-1111 or www.clevelandorch.com.

Cincinnati's Paavo Jarvi made his Cleveland Orchestra debut there in July.

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati

Cincinnati Symphony musicians are on vacation this month, but contract negotiations continue, says outgoing board chair Dan Hoffheimer.

"The talks are productive," he says.

He hopes to settle "before or shortly after" the current contract expires Sept. 5. Until then, the board cannot approve its budget for the season, which opens Sept. 10 with the Pops, and Sept. 17 with the symphony.

About "20 variables" are on hold, he says, including fund-raising goals and whether to schedule Jammin' on Main.

E-mail jgelfand@enquirer.com