“Beginning his second year as music director of the Orlando Philharmonic, the 33-year-old Eric Jacobsen … spent most of his career as a cellist,” writes Mike Schneider in a Sunday (6/5) Associated Press article. “A decade ago he co-founded the string quartet, Brooklyn Rider … and [has performed in] the Silk Road Ensemble.… Jacobsen believes millennials would like classical music if they gave it a chance, but he is still trying to figure out, ‘How do we get them to give it a chance?’ That’s an urgent question for orchestras … seeking to revitalize their audiences. A study sponsored by the League of American Orchestras … recommended that orchestras give more flexibility to potential concert subscribers [and] increase interactions between musicians and subscribers to give audience members an emotional connection to the orchestra.… Jacobsen represents a new path for many young conductors, said Jesse Rosen, president and CEO of the League of American Orchestras.… Nowadays, many future orchestra conductors are creating their own ensembles with different types of community-based programming, Rosen said…. As Jacobsen looks ahead to the upcoming season, he says programs might combine music with visual artists, performing artists and literary works.”
Posted June 7, 2016
