The renowned Philadelphia Orchestra has officially filed for bankruptcy protection after falling victim to plunging ticket sales and soaring overheads, according to court papers on April 17.
The filing followed a vote announced on April 16 by the board of directors, who say the move will allow the orchestra to maintain operations while restructuring and seeking help.
According to the court papers filed over the weekend, the orchestra has suffered falling ticket sales over the last four years as concertgoers age and younger people prove hard to attract.
Photo: Lin Ya-ti, Taipei Times
照片:台北時報林亞蒂
Amid nationwide economic instability, the organization has also had to confront rapidly rising pension costs for employees. The symphony wants to pull out from those contracts, but estimates that it would cost US$23 million (NT$668 million) to do so, according to the court papers.
For this year alone, the orchestra faces a US$14.5 million deficit, about a third of its US$46 million operating budget. Major donors likewise have withheld support from the organization until it can fix its finances.
Other orchestras have closed or sought bankruptcy protection during the US recession and weak recovery, but none have been as large or significant as the 111-year-old Philadelphia Orchestra.
Many of the documents filed were aimed at keeping the organization functioning. The orchestra sought protection from utility companies turning off the lights, and asked a judge for permission to keep paying salaries.
The orchestra promises to maintain its packed performance schedule and to modernize in a bid to attract new supporters.
Two related performing arts organizations, including the Philadelphia Academy of Music, also sought bankruptcy protection as part of the orchestra’s filing.
(AFP)
根據四月十七日的法院文件,享譽國際的費城管絃樂團,因成為票房賣座驟降與高漲營運支出的犧牲品,已正式聲請破產保護。
費城管絃樂團董事會四月十六日經過投票,決定聲請破產保護,他們認為這樣做可以讓樂團在整頓與尋求幫助的同時,還能維持營運。
根據這份週末聲請的法院文件,因為愛樂人士步入高齡與(樂團演出)不易吸引年輕人,樂團在四年前就開始蒙受票房銷售降低之苦。
根據這份法院文件,在全美陷入經濟動盪之際,這個組織也要面臨員工退休金快速高漲的成本。樂團雖想要撤銷那些合約,但估計這要花上兩千三百萬美元(約新台幣六億六千八百萬元)。
就今年而言,該團財政赤字達一千四百五十萬美元,占樂團四千六百萬美元營運預算的三分之一。主要的贊助者也停止對此組織的捐款直到它可以解決財務問題。
在美國經濟衰退與脆弱走出困局期間,不少樂團已關門大吉或是聲請破產保護,不過這些樂團都不如大型、重量級 ,且有一百一十一年歷史的費城管絃樂團。
聲請的文件多半是著眼於讓這個組織繼續運作。樂團尋求法院保護,免於遭受電力公司斷電的命運,並詢問一位法官允許繼續發放薪資。
此樂團誓言要維持它既定滿檔的演出,並且順應潮流使其現代化,以吸引新的支持者。
與費城交響樂團相關的兩家表演藝術團體,包括費城音樂學院,也在同一份聲請文件內尋求破產保護。
(法新社/翻譯:林亞蒂)
Huge stretches of coral reef around the world are turning a ghostly white this year amid record warm ocean temperatures. On April 15, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed the world’s fourth mass global bleaching event is underway — with serious consequences for marine life and for the people and economies that rely on reefs. WHAT ARE CORALS? Corals are invertebrates that live in colonies. Their calcium carbonate secretions form hard and protective scaffolding that serves as a home to many colorful species of single-celled algae. The two organisms have evolved over millennia to work together, with corals providing shelter to algae,
Taiwanese cuisine boasts a rich culture of thick soups, with various options available at street vendors or high-end restaurants. In English, this style of dish is typically called “thick soup.” Western cuisine typically uses flour, cream, or mashed vegetables to create a creamy consistency, while in Taiwan, thick soups are made by simply incorporating food starch into the soup and creating a smooth and silky texture. Tutuo fish in thick soup is such a soup with fried tutuo fish chunks, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and wood ears. 台灣羹品飲食文化豐富,無論是巷口小店或是高檔餐廳,都有提供羹料理。羹在英文稱作「濃湯」,西式濃湯是以麵粉、鮮奶油、蔬菜泥等達到濃稠的口感,台灣的羹湯用太白粉即能做出濃稠絲滑的湯頭。土魠魚羹就是在勾芡的羹湯中加入炸土魠魚塊、香菇、竹筍、木耳等食材的料理。 boast (v.) 擁有(令人驕傲的事物) consistency (n.) 濃稠度 chunk (n.) 厚塊,大塊 wood ear (n. ph.) 木耳 The star of this
In Taiwan, a quick stop at a local convenience store allows you to grab a hot dog whenever you want. But have you ever wondered how this popular snack got its unique name and became a leading light of American cuisine? First, the name “hot dog” is actually a combination of different ideas. Vendors called the sausages “red hot” to get customers to buy one fresh off their grills. As for the “dog” part, it’s a playful joke to compare the meat of the sausage to that of a dog—specifically , a dachshund. This small, long dog breed was
A: Entertainer Mickey Huang’s #MeToo scandal has kept snowballing. B: Didn’t Huang just escape prosecution on several sexual misconduct charges due to a lack of evidence? A: He has now been accused of raping a woman identified as "Miss K." B: It’s like one trouble follows another! A: His decent “persona” in the showbiz has totally collapsed. A: 藝人黃子佼的#MeToo事件真是沒完沒了。 B: 他的性騷擾案不是因為證據不足獲得不起訴? A: 但他又被某位「K小姐」指控性侵。 B: 天啊,真是一波未平,一波又起! A: 他在娛樂圈的優質「人設」都崩壞啦。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)