Orchestral administrator-to-the-stars Michael Kaiser has a new mini-essay up on the Huffington Post, in which he outlines the reasons he believes that orchestras are having a tougher time than ever making ends meet. It would be great to have a New Yorker style 30,000 word article on the topic, but this is what we’ve got so far. Let me know what you think about his conclusions in the comment thread.
1. Supply of orchestral performances in most communities expanded as management and labor agreed on expanded contracts over the past 20 years.
2. But demand has fallen for many reasons: Ticket prices have become too high for many, programming has not met the interests of a new generation, arts education has been neglected for most, and new, inexpensive substitute forms of entertainment are available with the touch of a button, or mouse.
3. The high fixed costs of producing symphonic performances means that orchestras are less flexible than theater or dance ensembles. A theater company can perform smaller works when things get tough, orchestras contract for a fixed number of musicians.
4. The death of the recording industry has led to the loss of our major marketing partner. We no longer have celebrity soloists and conductors being created for us to exploit in our ticket sales and fundraising campaigns.
5. Fewer people are able to commit to subscriptions, the continuation of a 40-year trend. This means that every program has to sell itself which is expensive and which discourages adventuresome programming.
8 replies on “why orchestras struggle – kaiser’s view”
THE single biggest problem is inadequate arts education.
fix that & much of the rest of the picture’s gaps will “automatically” fill in.
I agree with “bob priest”. Public school arts education is important (in this context, at least) as the generator of informed audiences.
As to pricing: “popular” music concerts and events cost as much, I think, but they are sold on a one-at-a-time basis. Without the above mentioned education, it is harder for even those who LIKE classical music to pick concerts to buy tickets for.
My attitude since college has been that I PREFER to buy subscriptions because it represents my continuing music education. I started with cheap student discount tickets, which opened up a world of music I had no idea about.
Recently the NY Philharmonic opened up a lot of their records to public view on the internet. I spent a couple of hours reading minutes of the Music Policy Committee from late 1950’s to well into the 60’s and they were bemoaning the aging of subscribers too. Some things do not change much.
Bill in Dallas
I’d have to disagree with #4… classical music never had the marketing muscle that popular music has. Folks still show up for A-list talent (btw – looking forward to sunday to see what is store for the OSO next year).
Also disagree with the last part of #2 (inexpensive substitute forms of entertainment). While I haven’t been to any of the HD concert broadcasts that have been showing in movie theaters – *nothing* compares to quality live performances. Interestingly my subscription to medici.tv + iphone/ipad apps make me want to attend *more* live performances not fewer.
I have to agree with Bob & Bill – inadequate arts education & education in general is the most troubling… we’ve dug ourselves into quite a hole. The tactical question is… in lieu of arts education in public schools – what are some alternative/effective methods of fostering music appreciation at all age levels?
@Bill in Dallas – Greetings from Portland, Oregon!
MORE money must be found for arts education. PERIOD.
if this means having a few less cocktail party receptions for donors, well then, let ’em drink tap water.
and, YES, i do understand that fewer cocktails likely translates into less lubricated funding.
so, houston, we definitely have a problem.
There is definitely a problem… I probably wouldn’t give a rats-a*s about this issue if I didn’t receive the music education I was blessed to have growing up in the California public school system 20 years ago. Those programs are long gone and my old school district is faced with a $32mil+ deficit in 2012. $32mil in the red and the arts are the first to get axed & last to get added back. Very bleak.
Who should be leading the charge for arts education funding? Are orchestras and their donors responsible for arts education?
Fewer cocktail parties is actionable… any other ideas? Bake sales?
orchestras and their donors are CERTAINLY partially responsible for arts education. should they not more acutely play their parts, dinosaurs they shall become.
i, too, grew up in Cal. and had something vaguely approaching an “arts education” in the pre-dino days.
so, for now, let’s AT LEAST drink to some of those cocktail parties as BYOB occasions.
Bob – Always interested in what you have to say. If you want to be my guest at one of the Parties of Note (www.partiesofnote.org) or in the Symphony Room at a Classical series concert just let me know.
hi dan,
thanx for the invite.
i might take you up on it sometime.
yes, be afraid!
byo-bob