ICSOM and TMA Come to Town

Crowne Plaza - Playhouse Square, Cleveland

August 18-23, 2025

Local 4 hosted two AFM Player Conferences this summer, the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) and the Theatre Musicians Association (TMA).

ICSOM represents over 4,000 musicians from 51 symphony orchestras through the United States and Puerto Rico. The Cleveland Orchestra is a charter member of the conference. TMA has 15 chapters. Cleveland formed its chapter last year.

The TMA conference was August 18-19. Local 4 was represented by chapter president Dave Banks. The conference featured sessions on the threat of artificial intelligence on the live music and recording industry, specifically KeyComp: a software program designed to replace theatre musicians. A roundtable presentation on the history of the conference featured several founding musicians.

ICSOM was August 20 - 23. Bassist Charles Paul  represented The Musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra, and Local 4 President DiCosimo presented a session on the AFL-CIO with Local 4 member Harriet Applegate, North Shore Federation of Labor Executive Secretary (2007-2020).

The Athena String Quartet performed for the delegate dinner, ICSOM General Counsel Kevin Case, longtime attorney for Cleveland Orchestra negotiations, led a session on the effects of the Trump administration on the symphonic industry. Sherrod Brown addressed the delegates on Saturday and the delegates joined Musicians Against Dictators in a rally for democracy in Perk Plaza.

We are showing our solidarity across the continent.