Decoding the “Comparing Orchestras” Game

In Tuesday’s (7/11) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jeremy Reynolds writes, “Rivalries between cities tend to focus on sports teams, amenities and crime and homelessness statistics. Can the arts enter that equation? And, more specifically, can a city’s orchestra be a point of civic pride? They are, after all, often among the largest arts organizations in their respective cities and a reasonable entity on which to stake some local esteem. First, let’s look at the home team, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With its roughly $30 million budget, the symphony offers salaries just high enough to remain a competitive underdog with some of America’s better-funded orchestras…. Plus, the PSO has developed a reputation for quality thanks to its award-winning recordings and positive press buzz when it tours other cities, nationally and internationally. For a point of comparison, how about the Chicago Symphony Orchestra … with nearly twice the Pittsburgh Symphony’s financial resources and a base pay for musicians tens of thousands of dollars higher? It’s not about assigning a ranking from 1-10 or tallying a score based on ticket sales, money raised, or number of concerts performed. There’s an ‘X’ factor about orchestral music. At root, a performance should evoke an emotional response.”