The Philadelphia Inquirer reported the other day that, "facing chronic red ink and houses only two-thirds full," the Philadelphia Orchestra might be undertaking "profound change." Alison Vulgamore, the orchestra's president, was quoted saying, "We simply can't go on doing the same thing . . . we have to be able to experiment." Already, there are American orchestras in cities … [Read more...] about Reinventing the Orchestra: The Role of Education
In the Ear of the Beholder
Readers of this blog might (or might not) be wondering what's become of me. There have been no postings in recent weeks because with the conclusion of the concert season I found it necessary to write half a dozen grant applications. This left little time for anything else other than complaining about it. I am now in Pittsburgh, where I'm directing an NEH teacher-training … [Read more...] about In the Ear of the Beholder
Gershwin, Stravinsky, Harrison festivals
During my tenure as Executive Director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic at BAM, I was handed an opportunity to refashion the orchestra's mission. In the course of two years, it had been abandoned by more than two-thirds of its subscribers: there was nothing left to lose. I proposed making all the programming thematic and inter-disciplinary. Harvey Lichtenstein, BAM's mastermind, … [Read more...] about Gershwin, Stravinsky, Harrison festivals
The Uses of Culture
A recent article on "Funding: The State of the Art" by my friend Andras Szanto makes for informative and depressing reading. "The search is on for a more compelling vocabulary" to rationalize and impel funding for the arts, Andras reports. The "latest linguistic developments" include applying "quality" not "as a mark of aesthetic sophistication," but "to denote a positive human … [Read more...] about The Uses of Culture
Ligeti, the New York Phil, and finding stage directors for opera
Alan Gilbert's first season as the New York Philharmonic's music director climaxed with a triumphant run of Gyorgy Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre - the New York premiere of a major late twentieth century opera (rare species), ingeniously semi-staged by Doug Fitch. The crux of this achievement, it seems to me, is a new ambience. Avery Fisher Hall, the Philharmonic's acoustically … [Read more...] about Ligeti, the New York Phil, and finding stage directors for opera