NEWS FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD OF MUSIC

Originally posted April 7, 2011

It has been bittersweet few weeks in the artistic world outside of the Maestro's little pond of Dubuque, Iowa.  First, one reads of our Congress's attempts to eliminate all funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System.   The major argument coming from the Republican right stems from an alleged liberal bias on the part of NPR.  Interestingly enough, although the general public grossly misunderstands the dollar amount (thinking that five percent, or 178 billion, as opposed to the realistic 430 million) spent on such ventures, a recent poll indicates that the same public believes that funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting should be increased.

By comparison the total dollar amount of governmental (local, state and federal) arts funding in Germany as recently as 2008 was 10.8 billion dollars.  As a result, that country maintains civic arts ministries that oversee local culture and state support which usually includes fiscal support for high caliber, 52-week radio orchestras and other cultural entities.  The previously cited reports notes that Germany has 23 times the number of full-time orchestras as the U.S.  If New York City had the same number of full-time orchestras as Munich, for example, it would have 45!  Similar statistics from other countries strongly demonstrate how far our country lags behind the rest of the world in its support of arts and arts organizations.

BAD NEWS FOR ORCHESTRAS:

The Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, which has not played a concert since 2009, filed for bankruptcy in December 2010.  The New York Times noted that its assets were sold off in March.  Hope seems to spring eternal in the land of sunshine and sandy beaches, but the road from financial ruin to sustainability is particularly difficult for any arts institution.

At the end of March, the Syracuse (NY) Symphony suspended operations and will itself be filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy as early as next week.   This follows months of extended fund-raising events, attempts for major salary concessions from musicians (who had already sacrificed their pay in previous years) and a shortening of the concert season.  A particularly sad commentary for an orchestra preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary season with a (now canceled) performance with the renowned Yo-Yo Ma.

While the Dallas (TX) Symphony has shown unprecedented growth in its fund raising efforts, musicians in nearby Fort Worth have had to accept a 13.5% pay cut.

Citing budget woes, the Muncie (IN) Symphony has canceled its final performance of the 2010-2011 season.

Even the Philadelphia Orchestra, arguably one of our nation's finest, is not immune from financial troubles.

THE GOOD NEWS

....may actually be coming from the once-great city of Detroit, long embroiled in economic woes of its own.  Since the race riots of the late 1960s, this has been a city in trouble; the economic crisis of this past decade has wrecked havoc on the city's automotive base and city leaders are quickly realizing that the entire city needs to "downsize" in order to survive.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, once one of the nation's revered musical institutions, has suffered a six-month-long strike since October 2010, abruptly canceling the performances of that organization.  Although efforts had raised sufficient funding to support the $54 million Max M. Fisher Music Center (which includes the famed Orchestra Hall), unwise investment choices by orchestra management placed all of these funds in serious jeopardy and the organization has run over $20 million in deficits over the past three seasons.  A recent story in the New York Times indicates that a tentative deal has been struck with the orchestra's musicians and that rehearsals should be commencing as early as today.  This is a long-awaited piece of good news for an orchestra (and a city) that I enjoyed visiting in my youth.

The musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra have long maintained a website chronicling the actions of the Symphony Board and its administration as well as the musicians reactions.  It is very sorry to note that, while the orchestra may finally once again be heard, many of the musicians, including the entire percussion section, have left the city for much greener pastures.

Coming down-finally!

[On a somewhat related note, the Detroit City Council has unanimously voted to tear down the orchestra's former home, Ford Auditorium.  Fortunately for the organ world, the hall's venerable 1957 Aeolian-Skinner will be moved to Orchestra Hall, once funding for the move is complete.]

One would hope to read of more good news than bad on the arts front in our nation, but we seem bent on spending more money on huge sports complexes (New Jersey still owes over $110 million on a stadium that has been torn down--the "old" Meadowlands), overseas military actions, and other such boondoggles.  All of this shortchanges education, the arts, the elderly, and those significantly less fortunate than the "majority."  And this is a sad commentary on our society as a whole.

History will record our society based on its art, much as we have revered the Renaissance and time of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven as Golden Ages.  Our own seems to be more than a bit tarnished.  One must hope that there is still time to get out the polish.