Manhattan Concert Productions — Attraction in New York

I feel compelled to alert other directors of bands, orchestras, and choirs of our experience with Manhattan Concert Productions. It absolutely pains me to write this review, as my ensembles (a suburban New York high school band and a tier one research university band) had a 10-year plus relationship with MCP prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, performing regularly at their events as a “local” group, providing MCP with consistent EXTRA revenue and top musical performances on top of their already highly profitable concerts that featured out-of-town groups. After MCP cancelled our scheduled March 30, 2020 Lincoln Center/David Geffen Hall performance, MCP made the business decision to refuse full refunds to our students, citing the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic as their rationale. I began the process of trying to rationally explain our position to MCP in April, 2020, shortly after I was informed by Craig Arnold, CEO, that they intended to not refund all monies paid by our school and the other universities on the program.  MCP chose to refund only a portion of each student’s fees paid and repeatedly made it clear that they would not reconsider. As a result of the egregious corporate greed and devastatingly destructive business relationship myopia of Manhattan Concert Productions, each one of my students had $100 of their money kept by MCP. The irony, of course, is that their own contract terms state in item #6 that should a concert be cancelled by MCP, all monies would be refunded in full. (See the picture attached, which includes item #6-refunds). MCP argued to our legal counsel that they did not cancel the concert. They believe that the pandemic cancelled the concert, absolving them of the legal necessity to refund all monies in full. They know that it is cost-prohibitive for universities and K-12 institutions to sue them in court, so they have made the decision to keep money and cite the pandemic for cover.

The vast majority of vendors who deal with student groups have acted responsibly and honorably during the pandemic.  I am dismayed and saddened that MCP chose not to act in the same manner, but I can assure you that we tried our very best to convince them of the need to act responsibly and in good faith. As a result of their continued refusal to honor the terms of our contract, MCP will no longer be an authorized vendor for either my university band or my high school band, and ANY group under my direction at ANY point from this point forward will no longer attend any MCP functions.  Looking forward, we have already been contacted by other Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center concert promoters who have stellar reputations and have behaved responsibly during the pandemic.  I feel certain that we will return to Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center under a new partnership in 2022 and beyond.

These difficult times have taught us who our real business friends and partners are. Our world is a small world of directors who know each other and talk to each other. I am available to share my experience (and the 9 month process it took to get only a partial refund for a cancelled concert) with anyone who wishes to email me. ...

Had an amazing time singing at such a historic venue. The conductor is a genius and really did an amazing job conducting. Just some small logistical snafus by the MCP staff. Some chior members requested a chair/stool due to not being able to stand for the full 50 minute set. The staff marked where the chairs were to be placed, but they never brought the the chairs to the people who needed them. Before the performance, we were told that we would be brought back to the audience after our set to watch the final group perform, but we got stuck backstage and told there was not seats for us. Then they told us there were seats and finally guided us out to the main stage. The concert itself was scheduled for 3 hours on a tuesday night from 8pm to 11pm, which I think was way too late for a weeknight show. The audience was rather slim and it was easy to see why. Half the audience left halfway through. Additionally, there was not much advertisement for the concert that I saw. They should have also picked a different hotel, the Sheraton was a mess in terms of the lobby always being overcrowded and the elevator taking 10min or more to get us where we needed to go. In summary, music and composer were top notch, I wish they put more thought into advertising and logistics. For what we paid for the trip, they could have done better or...

I brought my advanced high school choir to participate in the Octavo Series this month, and it was a wonderful experience for them. The representatives from MCP were very professional and helpful in every way possible. They returned emails and phone calls promptly, and made themselves available to even go the extra mile. One associate, with whom I regularly corresponded, went out of her way to attend one of our parent meetings (virtually) and answered questions that parents had regarding the trip and was able to provide more information to them, as it was my first year participating in this event. Every interaction I had with an MCP Representative was positive and meaningful - from the President of MCP to those greeting us at the door when we arrived. The accommodations were outstanding, the guest conductors were top notch, and the participating ensembles were professional and well-prepared.

Embarking on the journey of raising the money to participate, learning challenging repertoire, and culminating in a performance at THE prestigious, Carnegie Hall is an invaluable experience for my students that they will cherish forever! I highly recommend...