A post Friday (9/14) on the WQXR blog Conducting Business reads, “Recently, WQXR.org polled listeners on what’s needed to help troubled orchestras in several major American cities. Focusing on major symphonies in Atlanta, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, St. Paul and San Antonio—all of which face contract disputes and bulging deficits—the responses varied considerably. Some listeners called for management shakeups; others advocated more innovative programming and concert formats. A few said that orchestras need to take on a greater educational role in order to fill the void left by public school cutbacks. In this segment, we review the poll results and pose some of your comments to three experts: Jesse Rosen, president and chief executive of the League of American Orchestras; Drew McManus, an orchestra consultant and blogger at Adaptistration.com; Graydon Royce, music critic at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.” In response to host Naomi Lewin’s remark that 41% of listeners said orchestras need to “hire managers and board members with better business skills,” Jesse Rosen says, “I think the biggest challenge orchestras face and the biggest remedy that I would suggest is that musicians, boards, and management together share a responsibility to help orchestras adapt to what is a completely changed business and cultural environment.” Listen to the complete program here.
Posted September 17, 2012
