The 5-Year Artistic Plan by Michael Christie
One of the comments leads me to ask a question of SoundPost I asked the orchestra at the beginning of the season and I asked myself in creating the framework of a 5 year artistic plan for the orchestra --- What does success look like for the Phoenix Symphony in 5, 10 15 years?
16 Comments:
What will guarantee empty halls in the future is catering to the selfish whims of an older audience that apparently wishes to be musically coddled. What will happen when those patrons die off? Will a younger generation of listeners be drawn to an institution that it perceives to be moribund? The key is balancing standard repertoire with new music and neglected but accessible classics from the past. Other major and mid-major symphonies have profited from this approach--why can't the Phoenix Symphony?
To all who have left positive/constructive feedback on this blog, I thank you. This can be an excellent forum for discussing thoughts and ideas with each other. However, I am distressed to see posters engaging in petty personal attacks against our new music director and the orchestra. In order for us to grow as an institution, we must be unified toward a common goal-to grow our orchestra into what we would like it to be. None of the top orchestras developed overnight-it took many creative minds thinking and working together to help make them happen.
Please be patient-Phoenix is a relatively new orchestra compared to Cleveland, New York, Chicago, and such; and MUST be given time to grow into a truly great institution. We are getting there, slowly, but surely, and I am encouraged by the growth I have seen over the last several years.
Michael Christie is the best thing to happen to this orchestra in a long time-and I hope our audience appreciates the excitement, enthusiasm, and talent he brings to our podium. Our orchestra has never sounded better than under his baton, due to his love for the music, and attention to detail. I, for one, am, thrilled to have him here.
For those posters engaged in personal attacks, I challenge you to address problems you see with POSITIVE solutions, rather than blaming others, which is the easy way out. We must work together in order to make positive change happen.
FInally, I would like to thank all our dedicated patrons for your support and encouragement-the musicians in the orchestra appreciate you more than you know!
I think it is impossible to overstate how important new music is in framing how we hear "standard works."This page
calendarlive.com/music/classical/more/
has a very articulate review of Ligeti and Beethoven. It seems appropriate as the PSO will be playing Beethoven 9 next week along with some less familiar music.
please play complete works at the coffee concerts, even if they run an extra 5, 10, 15 minutes. I really like to hear the complete work and shudder to think of what the composer is doing during the work (decomposing (-:)).
Thanks.
I don't think anyone so far has entered "petty personal attacks." A number of posters have expressed their opinions that the PSO deserves better music direction and conducting than Mr. Christie has so far given them/us, and I agree with those opinions.
I also agree with an earlier poster that the music-director selection process was radically flawed, in that Mr. Christie was selected before all candidates had been heard. Further, some of the candidates who *were* heard were, in my opinion, clearly superior. However, apparently we're stuck with him for "x" number of years, so I suppose we might as well lie back and enjoy it as much as we can, so to speak.
It's clear that the PSO audience, or at least those members posting here, have diverse opinions, and no music director could satisfy everyone's wishes all of the time. However, those who ask for balanced programs featuring both familiar classics and some number of newer or unfamiliar works are probably closest to the mark if we want the Classics series to survive.
I think that the Pops series is the place where a new audience is most likely to develop, because it's easier for those who don't have any background in classical music to like pops. The PSO might consider some "light classics" concerts, which were offered years and years ago, as a bridge from pops to classics. My personal view is that enticing large numbers of younger listeners to classics concerts is a lost cause except via the schools; in other words, it's a potential long-term solution, not a short-term one.
Look at other orchestras in other cities, most of which are grappling with the same problems. The ones that have so far been most successful, as for example the San Francisco Symphony with Michael Tilson Thomas, have enlisted a music director who is both charismatic and an accomplished musician, and whose style fits both the orchestra and the community. Unfortunately, there aren't many like MTT (or James Levine in Boston, etc.) around, and in any case Phoenix couldn't afford one. So I think we're in for a long slow slog.
Grayce
I’ve got some questions. First set of questions: We’re told that ticket sales are increasing, so where are the increases occurring? Thursday-night Classics concerts surely don’t seem to be benefiting. On the other hand, concerts at the SCFA the last couple of seasons have been sell-outs or close. Is there a reason they’ve been more successful? How many of the ticket increases come from playing more concerts; e.g., repeating Scottsdale concerts at other venues? How is the profile of increased ticket sales being used to help define a plan to achieve further increases?
Second set of questions: What’s the overall plan for increasing the size of the audience? What we’ve seen so far are tactical moves: add video, talk more about the music, introduce Keeping Score. These all seem to be designed to improve the experience of audience members once they’re in the concert hall. What’s the plan for getting new people into the hall? Generating buzz in the media? If so, which media? TV (I don’t think they know that the Symphony exists)? Radio? Newspapers, magazines? Or are current audience members expected to reach out to friends and acquaintances and bring them in? Are you planning special-price tickets for selected concerts that can appeal to specific new audiences? Which concerts are the main focus of the overall effort? Classics? Pops? Outlying locations such as Scottsdale and Mesa? I ask these questions because without a strategic plan I don’t think that any tactical moves are likely to make a significant difference in audience size. You could throw ideas at the wall to see which ones stick for a long time, but if no one is watching except current audience members, you’re just wasting time and potentially alienating people who are satisfied with their current experiences.
Grayce
Michael Christie asked what success would look like for the Phoenix Symphony in 5 years or more? My cut at an answer would be as follows.
A financially secure organization, which is able to pay competitive (with other comparable orchestras) salaries to the musicians and staff. No more financial panics!
An organization that is recognized as a Phoenix Point of Pride, not just by classical-music lovers, but by some reasonably large fraction of the population. (Back in the 1950s and 1960s the Seattle Symphony didn't have that large an audience, but a lot of people in Seattle knew that the symphony existed, what it did, and that it was good at what it did. I'd like to see that situation re-created here.)
An organization that draws financial support from a broad spectrum of sources: individuals, local government, local businesses. Phoenix has very few corporate headquarters to draw on, but the number of smaller businesses and wealthy individuals is growing, and could be sources of future financial strength.
An organization that is recognized nationally as having achieved the level of excellence expected of a regional orchestra. The Phoenix Symphony isn't competing with the Chicago or Cleveland orchestras, but it could realistically complete with Seattle, Colorado, etc. In achieving this goal, the orchestra will need to make recordings that display its capabilities. One of the intermediate goals is to enlarge the violin section; it's underpowered compared to the rest of the orchestra and is low in numbers compared to similar-sized orchestras.
An organization with strong ties to all levels of local education, beginning with grade schools and continuing through the community colleges and ASU. This is the long-term source of strength for the orchestra.
Grayce
Before defining a plan to achieve long-term success, we need to understand the barriers that may prevent that achievement. Here’s a first cut at the barriers faced by the Phoenix Symphony. I haven’t attempted in this post to define ways to surmount these barriers.
Lack of a local long-term tradition of support for the arts, and classical music in particular.
A highly mobile population, which may not put down roots or feel a proprietary interest in helping to develop the city for the long term. Most of the civic “movers and shakers” of only 20 years ago are long gone, making continuity in arts support difficult to achieve. In addition, newcomers who do support the arts may continue to do so in their hometowns instead of transferring their allegiance to Phoenix-based groups.
Lack of corporate headquarters of large organizations, which are often solid supporters of the arts. The largest local employer is Wal-Mart (not headquartered here), which does not leap to mind when one thinks of corporations that are most likely to support classical music.
Lack of a critical mass of wealthy individuals or families who are both able and willing to make multimillion-dollar contributions to the arts. The Herberger family has been a wonderful exception to this rule. Mrs. Piper, and now her Foundation, also deserve recognition. But there’s no depth to this list, and many wealthy individuals who could make smaller, but still significant, donations, don’t naturally do so, for reasons listed elsewhere in this post.
Lack of widespread support for the arts and classical music in the public schools. In the past, early exposure to classical music gave children who responded to that music (always a minority) a start on what became, in at least some cases, a lifelong devotion.
Lack of support for classical music in the mainstream media. The Phoenix newspaper devotes minimal space to classical music. TV covers classical music mainly in terms of its celebrities. For example, millions of people have heard of Yo-Yo Ma, seen him on TV, and responded to his charm. But in general they experience him as a celebrity, not as one of a large number of highly trained and highly talented classical musicians. As a result of the cult of celebrity, when Yo-Yo Ma (or a comparably well-exposed talent) comes to Phoenix there’s a sell-out crowd, but most of them don’t come back for other events.
A visually oriented culture. Most young adults have grown up in a culture that emphasizes visual stimulation, often passively accepted and enjoyed. The idea of sitting quietly and exerting intellectual energy to concentrate intently on the structure of a complex musical composition is a novel idea, and not one that is inherently attractive. This most likely accounts for the relatively greater success today of opera companies and ballet companies – both with strong visual components – compared to symphony orchestras.
Grayce
Here’s one more barrier to success, which I’ve been struggling to express.
The need to meet diverse expectations and satisfy diverse tastes. Posts in this blog illustrate the diversity of views among current audience members. Some would prefer programs that are completely focused on familiar classics. Others would like to hear at least a reasonable amount of new and/or unfamiliar music, without too many familiar “war horses.” Some don’t want Classics concerts to be “diluted” with lighter music that sounds to them like Pops. Others like their Classics on the light side. This problem is not unique to the Phoenix Symphony, as illustrated by a NY Times review of a recent NY Philharmonic concert that paired Beethoven with Adams (those who came for Beethoven streamed out during the Adams piece). But it’s exacerbated in Phoenix by the fact that there are so few other sources of live classical music in the Valley, meaning that the orchestra needs to try to satisfy a wide range of tastes without completely alienating anyone.
Grayce
I think one of the tools for the Phoenix Symphony to succeed in 10 years is its own hall. Something bigger than the Orhpeum but smaller than Symphony Hall. Something with accoustics specific for an orchestra. A stage able to hold the forces needed for a Mahler symphony, but also able to host a string quartet. The orchestra needs a home, where the administrative offices, box office, music library, rehearsal space, practice rooms, storage space can all be in one place accessible by all. I know that this is a huge undertaking but one that must be taken seriously with vision, creativity and careful planning.
Grayce's comments are very perceptive. However, to her last comment I would say that NY is a poor comparison. It may be true that in NYC there are so many top rate groups that can cater to specfic needs that if the NY Phil goes and plays something from outside the standard rep it may disgruntle their audience. The NY Phil, in the minds of many of their patrons, may be there just to play Brahms and Mahler. They may want newer music left to The American Composers Orchestra, and unfamiliar rep left to the American Symphony Orchestra, etc.
However the other major orchestra, with the possible exception, of Chicago and Boston don't have that luxury. It is true that the only Big 5 orchestra with a Pops series is Boston but Cleveland and the rest play a large quantity of new music. And diffucult and very challenging new music, not just well established composers like John Adams. I think the point that it is difficult for one organization to serve many people is a fair one. However, it is not unique to Phoenix. In fact it is an issue that orchestras at the very top of the profession have to deal with.
Sincerely,
A PSO Musician
I'm on my way out the door to a Beethoven 9 rehearsal but I just wanted to quickly say that yes, the Phoenix Symphony situation is just as it is being described, a single organization using the immense talents of those employed to present as vibrantly as possible the enormous body of music that appeals to our community. This is why we are contemplating using in the classics for example the same program over a given weekend with several different presentation formats to better suit the desired experience of the patron.
This part of the blog should be the strategy section that deals with hashing out of the vision. The concert experience section is where we dissect the experience and discuss the tactical side.
I'll come back to these points after rehearsal....
why not a series focusing on new music or composers with a chamber orchestra or chamber group in Scottsdale or at the Orpheum? or even at ASU at Gammage? it could be one of the "Series" people could choose from. or thu or fri nights could be new music nite. Don't be afraid to try new things. as an artist, I find experimentation to be important to growth. of course I understand you also have to pay your bills.
I can't find all the post-concert blogs that used to be easy to find. They seem to end with last season. How do I get to see them, or have you discontinued this comment service? We miss Sonny the Cat, Grayce, and others as well as Michael Christie. Thank you.
Hi Suzy-
All the posts and comments that have ever been made to this blog are still accessible via the links along the left-hand side columns entitled, "Recent Posts" or "Archives". This blog automatically archives blog topics by month under the "Archives" column and also keeps links to the 5 or so most recent blog topics under "Recent Posts".
You may also use the search feature at the very top to search for key words (the concert's title, etc.) that you remember from the blog post you're looking for. Just make sure to click "search this blog" at the top to make sure your search is being limited to just SoundPost.
Brendan Anderson
Webmaster
The Phoenix Symphony
Constant vigilance is necessary to keep an organization like the PSO on a sound financial footing. In good times, such as today, this is a comparatively easy feat vs during recessionary times, which inevitably will recur. It is imperative to plan for such times so as not to fall into deficit again. It would be ideal to create a Trust Fund for the PSO.
I disagree with the comment that older patrons will die off leaving fewer symphony enthusiasts in the future. "Been there, done that". I thought this myself in my younger days and it did not come to pass. Of course, maintaining an interesting and varied repertoire is key to attendance but, let's face it, there's slim picken's in today's modern repertoire. Innovative programming, like concert opera, is a definite draw.
We're indeed fortunate to have Michael Christie's leadership in this regard.
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