FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PASADENA, CA (July 31, 2014) — The American Federation of Musicians Local 47 is proud to host the 30th annual conference of the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association (ROPA).

Each year, regional orchestra musicians from throughout the United States gather each year in a unique host city for an annual conference. A representative organization within the American Federation of Musicians, ROPA pursues activities conducive to the general welfare and artistic well-being of member orchestras and their musicians, and serves to enhance communications among those orchestras and with the AFM and individual Locals. Local 47 ROPA member orchestras include the California Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, New West Symphony, and Pasadena Symphony and POPS.

The opening ceremony for the 30th annual ROPA conference takes place Friday, Aug. 1, at the Pasadena Central Library. Guest speakers include U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-CA, 27th District), Los Angeles County Federation of Labor Executive Secretary-Treasurer Maria Elena Durazo, and Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) Deputy Director James Elmendorf.

The remainder of the four-day conference will be held at the Westin Pasadena, where delegates will attend various workshops and meetings. Current ROPA President Carla Lehmeier-Tatum, cellist with the New Mexico Philharmonic, has served in this position for the past four years and has been on the ROPA board since 2004. An election of officers takes place Aug. 3.

From the nucleus of 24 charter member orchestras formed in 1984, ROPA now represents over 80 orchestras comprising more than 6,000 musicians in North America. All member orchestras have a collective bargaining agreement between orchestra management and their regional AFM Local. The organization continues to serve the needs of regional orchestras throughout the U.S. and remains a valuable resource for information and communication.

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