Thursday (9/13) on his Baltimore Sun blog Clef Notes and Drama Queens, Tim Smith writes, “Could the end of white tie and tails be in sight for orchestra musicians? Will a hip new form of concert attire spread through the classical music world? Stay tuned. The Baltimore Symphony announced Thursday that Music Director Marin Alsop has funded a ‘pilot partnership’ with the New York-based Parsons The New School for Design to devise an updated wardrobe for orchestral players in the 21st-century. The project will involve 16 Parsons students from an interdisciplinary class this semester. They will travel to Baltimore to observe the BSO in action, starting with Friday’s season-preview concert at Meyerhoff Hall, so they can ‘conceptualize a fashionable attire that integrates new fabrics and wearable technologies.’ ” Alsop stated, “The basic concert black worn by nearly every orchestra across the globe has been the status quo for hundreds of years. It’s time to reinvent the modern orchestra. … Concert attire is just the start. Our goal is to erase any pre-conceived notions of what a concert should look like and create an experience that is as inspiring as the music we perform.”
Posted September 14, 2012
