It takes more than a pretty building to create a world class concert hall and the people responsible for how a concert hall sounds are acousticians, engineers that specialize in the scientific study of how sound in generated, transmitted, and received. For decades, this field has been dominated by a handful of great individuals but there are new generations of stars stepping into the limelight as more and more communities begin to realize just how important it is to have their performing arts buildings sound as good as they look.
Drew McManus
But You Knew That Already, Of Course…
Among all of the contemporary forms of art, I’ve always felt classical music has the most potential for growth. Unfortunately, it has a nasty habit of getting in its own way by perpetuating decades old exclusive barriers. At the same time, many classical music institutions are trying harder than ever before to consciously tear some of these barriers down. However, I find that some of these issues are so entrenched in the behavior and actions of long time classical music enthusiasts; they may not even realize they are unconsciously contributing to the … Continue Reading
Perhaps Less Is More
As the classical music business continues to work toward reversing the overall decline in attendance one of the issues many overlook is the impact concert length may have on audience development and retention. Nevertheless, it may be just the right time to re-examine whether or not the “tried-and-true” concert length of two hours plus intermission is something that should remain a business standard.
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall…
The internet is a wonderful place. It’s an open hub for ideas and discussions that would otherwise rarely see much attention. One particular discussion had nothing to do with how classical musicians sound or what they play; rather, the topic focuses on how they look.
I’m glad to say that the conversation isn’t about wearing tuxedos on stage. Although that’s a good discussion to have, it’s a bit long in the tooth. Instead, this discussion centers on the type of image classical musicians project.
An Interview with Frank J. Oteri
You mean there’s more to classical music than just performers and dead composers? There sure is and if you take the time to look under some of the more fascinating rocks within the classical music environment, you’ll eventually unearth something besides decaying Mozart manuscripts and another recording of Beethoven 7.