November 22nd, 2011 by Beth Hondl
In this post, Afa Sadykhly Dworkin—Vice President of Programming and Artistic Director of the Sphinx Organization and a panelist at our first live event—reflects on the ongoing discussion of how American orchestras relate to their communities. One of the topics that seems to never be...
Read morePosted in Community | Comments Off on The community: a stakeholder or occasional special guest?
November 21st, 2011 by Beth Hondl
The Asphalt Orchestra (really a twelve-piece marching band) has made a name for itself with edgy, in-your-face, street performances. Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times describes them as “part parade spectacle, part halftime show and part cutting-edge contemporary music concert.”...
Read morePosted in Audience, Creativity | Comments Off on Taking the street out of street performances
November 18th, 2011 by Beth Hondl
I always enjoy reading Alex Ross, author of The Rest is Noise and writer for The New Yorker. In a recent interview with Michael Louis Vinson of the Appleton Post Crescent, he had this to say about some of the traditions surrounding the classical music concert experience. I really am a big...
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November 16th, 2011 by Beth Hondl
A recent article in the Portland Press Herald introduced me to the work of Janna Hymes and Maine Pro Musica, an orchestra that’s taking their show on the road: “The model for the large orchestras can work. But if it’s not working—if every cog in the wheel is not working in...
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November 14th, 2011 by Beth Hondl
In the classical music world, we talk so much about ways to enhance the tradition-bound concert experience—down with tuxes and gowns! up with video projections!—that I found this an interesting read for an alternative point-of-view. Read more
Posted in Audience, Creativity | Comments Off on Is the traditional concert experience actually a radical one?