“2014 has brought its fair share of sobering orchestra-related headlines for both the U.K. and the U.S. But what hits the news isn’t always the full story,” writes Charlotte Gardner in Sinfini, a U.K.-based classical music site. “As the year draws to a close, we look at how their two respective orchestral landscapes are really looking …To outsiders, American orchestras may have looked fragile, the headlines dominated by strikes and lock-outs … However, orchestral activity has actually grown. Jesse Rosen is the president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras. ‘There are now 1,100 orchestras in the US, compared to 890 ten years ago,’ he says. He sees this year’s [lockouts] as unfortunate but emphasises that the majority of American orchestras manage to settle work contracts without a work stoppage, and these disputes don’t necessarily produce detrimental long-term effects. He cites the Detroit Symphony, which was almost toppled in 2010 by a six-month strike. … ‘They’re hitting new highs in contributions and ticket sales, morale is strong, they’re playing wonderfully, and they’re doing a lot of innovative work,’ ” said Rosen. “On both sides of the Atlantic, there are success stories as orchestras reimagine themselves for the new climate.”
Posted December 19, 2014
