Over the past three months I have been approached by three separate regional orchestras seeking advice on ways to deal with crippling budget deficits.
In each case, the orchestra has suffered chronic deficits that have blossomed over the past two or three years. The combination of shrinking audience and donor interest has been compounded by the poor economy.
Each of these organizations has been bailed out before, but this time many major donors are angry and refuse to give substantial amounts unless a new business model is put in place.
I know these three orchestras are the rule, not the exception. One only has to observe what has happened in San Antonio, Miami, Honolulu and Detroit (none of "my" three orchestras) to know that the orchestra world is going through a major discontinuity, at best, and an implosion, at worst.
What has led us to this point?
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.
Orchestra managers are trying desperately to find ways out of this mess, but often with too little lead time. They are pressured by boards and donors to make fundamental changes to the size of their orchestras and the ambitiousness of their programming.
Musicians are understandably upset at the proposed reduction in quality, salary and job security.
Unfortunately, rather than dealing with these fundamental issues as a team, the groups have squared off. The nasty comments made by both sides makes it hard to imagine how anyone would ever want to become a volunteer, board member, donor or ticket buyer again.
Musicians must acknowledge that deficits are not sustainable; we cannot spend more than we take in. But managers and boards must acknowledge that revenue can grow over time and we must not necessarily view short-term cuts as a long-term solution.
Every orchestra must find its own equilibrium; there is no one size that will fit all. But I maintain that those symphonies that create important, exciting work -- and market it well -- will have a better chance of creating great music and education and of building a base on which rational growth can occur.
And we must work strenuously to accomplish our planning in a spirit of collaboration not contemptuousness. The fate of the orchestra world hangs in the balance.
Orchestras will need to shift back to those pre-union days when they drove a cab by day and played in the symphony by night. The golden era of the orchestra career is over.
You should support them for the good of your community. If orchestras fail, then cities will fail also.
Great cities are home to great art and great artists.
This isn't about musicians and orchestras, or unionism. Quality of life for everyone in the city is at stake.
And if you think orchestras really generate that much revenue for a city, then why is every single orchestra in the country (except for the Boston Pops) bankrupt? I don't see the Redskins folding anytime soon...
If you want to cut costs, look at the bloated administrations. They spend the lion's share and have very little to show for it. It is better to shut down than present an inferior product, especially if you try to fool the public-- a dangerous business practice. Top quality costs top dollar. If you want cheap, you will get low standards for your money. As long as there is one orchestra that pays well, the best players will go there. Pro sports teams have learned this lesson; so will orchestras.
Many orchestras that are feeling financial constraints relied very little on the recording industry for income or publicity. Historically, recordings tended to utilise only a comparatively select number of orchestras. Orchestras lower in the league tables were rarely able to factor in earnings from royalties or recording contracts.
At no time do we appear to hear of any financial accommodation being offered by conductors or artists, particularly those who are of international stature, in an attempt to ease the financial burden on orchestras. The current financial turmoil has an impact across the Arts, so it seems somewhat unreasonable that economies are apparently so disproportionately applied.
Grow your younger audience by engaging them the way the competition does. If your orchestra doesn't Tweet, you've nobody to blame but yourselves for your dire straits.
Art is ever-evolving, and only the art that doesn't evolve dies.