“Our society has become increasingly characterized by its ‘gig economies’—short-term work, often defined by the worker herself,” writes conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya in Thursday’s (8/8) New Music Box. “Conductors … are well-positioned to take advantage of this new economic order…. Following college and graduate work, … many traditional opportunities also simply did not exist for me…. I spent the first decade of my career running a new music ensemble and several small opera companies…. This entrepreneurial, gig-economy approach was the perfect way to hone my craft and launch a career…. My chamber music experience now informs my approach to even the most large-scale symphonic and operatic works. My administrative and production experience has shaped both my leadership style and my artistic ideas…. A major positive outcome of increased entrepreneurship among conductors has been the opportunity for those who may otherwise have been overlooked to gain recognition…. In order for classical music to thrive and move forward, we must find more ways to encourage and support individuals who are taking the difficult path of forming, running, organizing, and creating performance groups for a new era.”
Posted August 12, 2019
