As an avid reader of my colleague Andrew Taylor’s blog, The Artful Manager, I would like to start this piece with a quote from one of his writings:
“The world doesn’t work the way we thought it did, the way our common knowledge thinks it should, or the way our training prepared us for. Either the world is broken, or our eyes and brains aren’t seeing it right. One, I suggest, is easier to fix.”
Andrew’s excellent assessment regarding arts administration is one that I wholeheartedly agree with. How the industry currently conducts itself is in need of reform. How orchestra administration can adapt to the challenging cultural climate is the difference between prosperity and extinction. Identifying the problems facing orchestra management and presenting solutions are the focus of this blog. Arguably, some of these solutions may be considered unconventional and controversial.
In particular, I would like to focus on the following topics:
Identify the individuals and collective parties involved in the artistic and operational management of a contemporary orchestra.
Identify the current problems in orchestra management and present meaningful solutions as they present themselves.
Analyze and translate the regular flow of spin surrounding the industry of orchestra management.
Recognize individuals and programs that are revolutionizing the industry of orchestra management in a positive way.
Track news related to musicians and managers of orchestras that have recently gone out of business or suspended artistic activity.
I am optimistic that the ideas and observations presented in these writings will serve as a catalyst for the continuing evolution of orchestra management along with the art of live symphonic music.