A few wishes for 2011…
- For the Detroit Symphony Orchestra – a decent contract that produces a balanced budget and a healthy fiscal outlook.
- For the Louisville Symphony – ditto.
- For the Charlotte Symphony – ditto.
- For Honolulu – For an enlightened cadre of movers/shakers to magically appear and concentrate on rebuilding a lost cultural gem.
- In general, for the industry to realize that a pretty face just out of diapers may not necessarily be who you want to entrust your orchestra to for the next 10 years.
- For musicians everywhere to realize that the world is changing, and if we don’t change how we approach the business of music we are going to be in even bigger trouble than we are already.
- For every orchestra to have musician representatives on their Board of Directors
- For those musician representatives to understand that almost every time an orchestra performs a “classical” concert their organization loses money.
- For the Right Wing of the political spectrum to stop bashing the NEA.
- For flashmobs on YouTube to go away.
- For whomever is in charge of anti-monopoly investigation to take a good, hard look at a few of the management companies based in N.Y.
- For more concerts featuring the music of Bohuslav Martinu.
- For more concerts featuring the music of Lili Boulanger.
- For the people who claim that Leonard Bernstein didn’t write great music outside of Broadway to get over themselves.
- For a resurgence in the importance of Chamber Music.
- For an end to the constant bickering of Musicians vs. Boards vs. Administrations. It’s not helping.
- For everyone serving on a Board of Directors of an orchestra to learn an instrument.
- For all – a happy, healthy and prosperous 2011.
Bravo! I would add: half (or more) of all symphony programs should feature works by living composers, especially N. American ones–chosen not for their hipness or name value. And every season should premiere a commission.