Bruce Ridge, Chairman of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM), writes about the resiliency of American orchestras in the face of economic challenges.
"Non-profit symphony orchestras are governed by boards, most of whom are wonderful people who truly love music, their orchestras, and their communities. But, most of them now come from the for-profit world, and they hire "industry professionals" to manage their non-profit organizations. The board members tend to take their education for running a non-profit from the "industry professionals ..."
"The tendency of orchestra managers to present a negative view of the future is not unprecedented, but it is bewildering, and it is a poor fund raising message. People will donate to organizations that inspire them and that serve their communities, but they will not invest in organizations that question their own sustainability."
Kevin Case's essay, referenced in Bruce Ridge's article, can be found here
Henry Peyrebrune's article in Adapistration, October 2012 looks at changes in the American cultural landscape, and the competition for audiences.
"It strikes me that the conflicts in Atlanta, Indianapolis and Minneapolis point to orchestra boards that have given up on the orchestra field, disregarding or even eschewing professional orchestra managers and forcing major cuts to prepare their orchestras to deal with the “new normal.”
No comments:
Post a Comment