Could the CBC orchestra stay in business?

Anyone following the fate of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.’s Radio Orchestra ought to read a thorough article in the Toronto Globe and Mail about the unresolved fate of the orchestra and other CBC Radio projects that may be on their way out. The CBC inspired widespread criticism and public protests in March when it announced that it would shut down the radio orchestra, the last of its kind still operating in North America.

The outcry and protests drew a fair amount of press coverage, but Robert-Everett Green’s article in the Globe and Mail looks beyond the well-worn debates about the CBC’s decision and examines whether the orchestra may, in fact, live on. The orchestra’s conductor and a Canadian venture capitalist are discussing how they might be able to keep it alive.

The longer-term goal, [venture capitalist Philippe Labelle] said, would be to reconstitute the orchestra as “some kind of a joint venture with the CBC, or a total spinoff” that would be supported by private and public funds. “We don’t want to confront the CBC,” he says. “They have pretty strong management, they’re in a changing environment, and they have made their decision. But that doesn’t mean the orchestra has to stop living.”

But the article points out that, due to its decades of operating under the CBC’s auspices, the orchestra lacks most of the infrastructure vital to the livelihood of other ensembles. Green also looks at the fate of other CBC classical enterprises, including its record label and a competition for young composers. The entire article is here. And if you’re still hungry for more of the classical vs. popular music showdowns, you can read the comments accompanying the article.