“In the arts, should racial diversity matter more than quality?” writes Jeremy Reynolds in Saturday’s (7/26) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.“ New York Times chief critic Anthony Tommasini recently called for an end to the orchestral practice of blind auditions, arguing that orchestras should take a musician’s race into account when making hiring decisions to increase diversity. It’s a provocative call for affirmative action in the ivory, statuesque world of professional classical music … American orchestras lack racial diversity…. Common arguments for increasing orchestral diversity focus on better reflecting the racial makeup of the communities they serve and encouraging more young musicians of color…. Organizations like the League of American Orchestras, a trade organization, the Sphinx Organization and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation are creating and promoting funds to help … students from underrepresented backgrounds, providing funding for things like private lessons, summer festivals and instruments. There are more than a dozen professional fellowships at some of America’s top orchestras … The current demand for change is operating on a much swifter timescale than these projects…. Is it enough to claim systems provide equal opportunity, or should they actively seek racial equity to ensure more diverse hiring practices due to historic oppression?”
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