Davóne Tines, creative partner at Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale in San Francisco
“Orchestras and ensembles all over the country are attempting to update their images and meet the new aesthetic, social and financial demands of this 21st-century classical milieu, an endeavor largely pursued through diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,” writes Michael Andor Brodeur in last Tuesday’s (8/31) Washington Post. “ ‘This is the music of, you know, wealthy Western European people,’ bass-baritone Davóne Tines says… ‘So what does it mean for people outside of that context to engage with this music?’ It’s one of several questions Tines intends to pursue on- and offstage as the first creative partner for San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra…. Tines’s role extends well beyond the usual purview of an artist at a company.… ‘Davóne’s voice will be heard at all levels of the organization,’ says Courtney Beck, executive director of PBO. ‘And I think what’s important about that is that he also brings an incredible external lens. So we’re not just talking to ourselves.’ Tines plans to launch an online discussion series titled ‘The Ultimate Outcome,’ bringing audiences, administrators and artists into overdue conversations about how the music of the distant past can serve to introduce more humanity into the culture of the right-now.”
